St. John's University Athletics
Schultzs Single Lifts St. Johns Past Hofstra, 7-6
3/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
The win, St. Johns fourth-straight, improves the Red Storm to 8-11 overall, and 4-0 at home, as they prepare for the BIG EAST season opener next weekend at The Ballpark against Pittsburgh.
The Red Storm rallied from a 6-4 deficit, scoring two runs in the bottom of the eighth and winning it in the ninth. Martin hit a leadoff single through the right side, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Anthony DeRosa (Salem, N.H.) and to third when freshman Greg Thomson (Levittown, N.Y.) flew out to center. Schultz then worked the count to 3-2 against Hofstra reliever Brendan Smar before lacing a ground ball down the third base line, scoring Martin with the winning run.
In the eighth, Schultz hit a blast to left to cut Hofstras lead to one run, 6-5. With two out, sophomore Blake Hershelman (Georgetown, Del.) came through with a single to right and junior second baseman Derek Sullivan (Lincoln, Calif.) banged a double to left-center, scoring pinch-runner Steven Mimms (Teaneck, N.J.) with the tying run.
The Pride (3-13) had gone ahead in the seventh with three runs in the seventh. Former Red Storm outfielder Josh Stewart hit a one-out double and scored when Josh Stern reached on a throwing error by St. Johns starter Craig Hansen (Glen Cove, N.Y.). After hitting J.P. Wechter to put runners on the corners, graduate student Greg Holmes (Stony Brook, N.Y.) relieved Hansen, threw a wild pitch to move Wechter up to second and gave up a two-run single to Ryan Cosentino, scoring both runners and giving Hofstra 6-4 lead.
The game had been tied at 1-all in the third when the Red Storm broke out with three runs. Martin started it with a leadoff single and moved to second on a throwing error from Hofstra starter Mark Acierno, which allowed DeRosa to reach base. Thomsons sacrifice bunt moved the runners up to second and third and Schultz delivered a shot to the wall in left, scoring both runners and breaking the tie. A single to right-center from senior Billy Graiser (Muttontown, N.Y.) scored Schultz and gave St. Johns a 4-1 lead.
Hofstra answered back with two runs in the fourth, narrowing the gap to 4-3. Eddie Cook hit a leadoff home run to right and Ricky Caputos RBI single scored Bryan Bugg, who singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt.
The Red Storm had jumped on the board in the second when Thomson hit a leadoff double, stole second and scored on a throwing error.
Schultz finished the day 3-for-5 with a home run, double, two runs scored and four RBI, while Martin went 4-for-4, with two runs scored.
Holmes improved to 2-2 this season, throwing 3.0 innings of one-hit ball, walking one and striking out two. Hansen had gone 6.0 innings, yielding six runs, four earned, on eight hits, with three walks and five strikeouts.
The Red Storm play at Columbia on Wednesday at 3 p.m. before returning home to host Pittsburgh next weekend in a three-game series. The Red Storm and Panthers will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon and close it out with a single game on Sunday at noon.
