St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
West Virginia
West Virginia Sweeps Doubleheader from St. John's
5/1/2004 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 1, 2004
Morgantown, W. Va. - St. John's was two-hit in the first game, and West Virginia scored three runs in the sixth inning en route to a 6-4 win in the nightcap, completing a doubleheader sweep of the Red Storm on Saturday afternoon at Hawley Field.
The losses, the first time St. John's has lost a BIG EAST doubleheader this season, drops the Red Storm's record to 27-16 overall and 12-7 in the BIG EAST. West Virginia improves to 18-22 overall and 8-11 in the league.
In the nightcap, St. John's led 4-3 in the sixth inning when freshman Matt Tosoni (Whitby, Ontario) relieved starter Rob Delaney (River Vale, N.J.) with one on and one out. Tosoni struck out Jake Serfass looking for the second out, but Grant Psomas doubled to left, scoring Justin Richards with the tying run. Lee Fritz followed with a single through the left side, scoring the go-ahead run, and Fritz, who advanced to second on the throw, scored on a single to center from Stan Posluszny.
The Red Storm cut into the lead in the eighth. Junior Blake Hershelman (Georgetown, Del.) reached on an error and scored when sophomore Ken Devenney (Philadelphia, Pa.) blasted a double to the wall in right. Devenney moved to third on a wild pitch, but walks to junior Jim Martin (Norwood, Mass.) and P.J. Antoniato (Levittown, N.Y.) loaded the bases with two out. Senior Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J.) grounded out to second, ending the inning.
St. John's had numerous chances throughout, but left 10 runners on in the loss. They had runners on first and second with one out in the first; and had the bases loaded with one out in the fourth, but managed only one run.
Delaney gave up four runs on eight hits, with three walks and three strikeouts in 5.1 innings, while Tosoni, who fell to 4-1 with the loss, gave up two runs on five hits in 1.1 innings.
The Red Storm fell behind 2-0 in the first inning, but came to take a 3-2 lead with a three-run third. Martin hit a leadoff single to center and scored when Antoniato hit a two-run home run to left, his fifth of the season. Rozema was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single to left from Joe Burke (Brooklyn, N.Y.). After West Virginia tied the game in the third, the Red Storm loaded the bases in the fourth and a sacrifice fly from sophomore Eddie Schultz (Flemington, N.J.) gave St. John's a 4-3 lead.
The Red Storm dropped the first game of the doubleheader, 4-1, with sophomore starter Anthony Varvaro (Staten Island, N.Y.) giving up single runs in the first and second, and two more in the fourth. St. John's was held in check by West Virginia starter Zac Cline, who limited the Red Storm lineup to one run on two hits and struck out four.
The Mountaineers jumped on top in the first Grant Psomas hit a one-out single up the middle, and Stan Posluszny moved him to second with a single to center. After retiring a batter, Kurtis Clinton singled up the middle, scoring the game's first run.
The lead grew to 2-0 in the second when Justin Richards hit a one-out home run to center. The Mountaineers would load the bases with two out after Varvaro walked Jake Serfass, and hit Psomas and Lee Fritz, but was able to get out of the inning without further damage.
The Mountaineers sealed the game with two runs in the fourth. Jeff D'Amico hit leadoff double, Serfass walked and Psomas reached on a bunt single to load the bases with none out. Lee Fritz followed with a double down the left field line, scoring two runs and sending Varvaro out as WVU led 4-0.
Cline, meanwhile, issued a two-out walk to Rozema in the first, but retired 13-straight batters before Devenney reached on an error in the sixth. Senior Anthony DeRosa (Salem, N.H.) reached on a fielder's choice, stole second and scored as the no-hitter, and the shutout, were broken up on a single to right from Antoniato.
