St. John's University Athletics
St. John's Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Connecticut
4/8/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 8, 2004
Storrs, Conn. - St. John's scored four runs in the seventh inning of the first game to come back for a 7-6 win, but Connecticut scored three times in the bottom of the first en route to a 6-2 win and a spilt in a BIG EAST doubleheader on Thursday at J.O. Christian Field.
The loss in the second game ended St. John's six-game win streak, dropping the Red Storm to 17-10 overall and 6-2 in the BIG EAST, while Connecticut improves to 14-12 overall and 3-5 in the league.
Trailing 6-3 in the seventh inning of the first game, the Red Storm loaded the bases with none out. Senior Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J.) hit a leadoff double, moved to third on a single from junior P.J. Antonianto (Levittown, N.Y.) and junior Jim Martin (Norwood, Mass.) was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Junior Blake Hershelman (Georgetown, Del.) drove in a run with a single, narrowing the gap to 6-4. Junior Joe Burke (Brooklyn, N.Y.) followed with a single to center, scoring two runs and tying the game. Redshirt freshman Chris Joachim (Massapequa Park, N.Y.) was intentionally walked to load the bases again, and senior Anthony DeRosa (Salem, N.H.) sent a fly ball high to left, giving Hershelman time to score the go-ahead run as St. John's took a 7-6 lead.
Sophomore Craig Hansen (Glen Cove, N.Y.) relieved for St. John's in the seventh, gave up one hit, and picked up his third save of the season.
In game one, the teams traded runs over the first three innings, but Uconn broke the game open with a three-run fifth after loading the bases with none out. Senior starter Joe Reid (Rutherford, N.J.) gave up singles to Tony Mallozzi and Marc Peluso and walked Mike Leonard to load the bases. A single to left from Jeff Hourigan plated the go-ahead run and Bryan Maler's sacrifice fly to center gave the Huskies a 5-3 lead. Matt Untiet's single gave Connecticut a 6-3 lead.
The Red Storm had jumped on top in the first inning when Rozema hit the first offering from Connecticut starter Josh MacDonald to center, where it was misplayed, allowing him to reach third. A sacrifice fly from Antoniato plated the game's first run.
Connecticut tied the game in the first, but an RBI single from freshman Eric Grabowski (Spencer, Mass.) gave the Red Storm a short-lived lead. The Huskies would score twice in the bottom of the inning to take a 3-2 lead before St. John's tied it once again.
In the nightcap, the Huskies scored three runs in the first inning off of St. John's junior starter Jim Wladyka (Rutherford, N.J.) and held on for a 6-2 win over the Red Storm.
St. John's returns to action on Monday, playing at No. 12-ranked Notre Dame.
