St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Softball Heads to the Beach
2/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 26, 2008
Long Beach, Calif. - Red Storm Softball Takes On LBSU
• The Red Storm head to Long Beach, Calif. to play Long Beach State on Tuesday, Feb. 26 for a double-header. The first game is slated to start at 1 p.m. (P.T.) at the 49er softball complex in Long Beach, Calif.
• St. John's has never faced the 49ers before, and looks to carry momentum over from their first win of the season, yesterday versus the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos.
• The Long Beach State 49ers are coming off an upset of No. 15 Hawaii on February 15 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
• This is the Red Storm's sixth game on this 12-game California road trip. St. John's will travel to face off against Cal State Fullerton on Wednesday. The team will then take place in the Worth Invitational against opponents UC Davis and Stanford, before traveling to Cal State Northridge to take on the Matadors in a double-header.
STORM TRACKER
Freshmen Sensation
• St. John's freshman third baseman/catcher Kacee Cox was named to the BIG EAST Conference weekly honor roll on Monday, Feb 18. Softball player Cox hit her first career home run and batted .308 over the weekend in Baton Rouge, La. at the Tiger Classic, hosted by LSU. In the Red Storm's final game of the weekend versus Nicholls St., Cox came through in the seventh inning with towering shot over the left field wall to record her first collegiate home run. Not only did Cox manage to get a hit in every game she played in, she finished the tournament with a slugging percentage of .615 and recorded six put-outs and six assists with only one error. The rookie has yet to strike out this year and has totaled eight bases on the young season to pace the Red Storm.
STJ at the Tournament By The Beach
• In the first game of the Softball by the Beach Tournament hosted by UC Santa Barbara, senior co-captain Lisa Geer gave up just two earned runs, but it proved to be enough to seal a victory for the Vikings of Portland State. Freshman Kat Lawrence pitched very well in relief, striking out five in four innings. Shortstop Danielle Estrada went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and junior first baseman Roxy Struble hit her first home run of the season in the sixth inning to put the Red Storm on the board.
• Versus UC Santa Barbara, freshman Chelsea Plimpton started and held the Gauchos to three runs while striking out five in her second complete game effort of the season. The Red Storm offense was able to get runners on base, recording six hits and four walks in the game, but could not push them across the plate.
• In its second game against Portland State, the Red Storm fought back to tie the game at two in the fifth inning after being down early when freshman outfielder Chelsea Durning singled to score Bionka King, but fell to the Vikings 4-3 in extra frames. Freshman starter Kat Lawrence had one of her best outings of the year, going eight innings and striking out eight.
STJ vs. UC Santa Barbara
• In the first game of the double-header, UCSB was able to jump out to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and held it for the rest of the game. St. John's got on the board in the second inning when senior co-captain Bionka King singled to score Brandy Reyes. A bases loaded hit-by-pitch by freshman Chelsea Durning scored Lisa Geer, but that was as close as the Red Storm would get.
• With its back against the wall in the final game the Red Storm would play against the Gauchos this season; St. John's was able to come back in the top of the sixth inning trailing 4-1 with two outs. The bases were loaded when senior shortstop and co-captain Danielle Estrada doubled to right center, clearing the bases and tying the game at 4. In the seventh, the Red Storm loaded the bases again when freshman third baseman Kacee Cox singled up the middle after a walk by King and a reach on error by Durning. King would score on the next pitch and give the Red Storm a one run lead when UCSB's catcher could not corral a wild pitch from Lindsey Correa. Sophomore catcher Reyes was the next batter up, and delivered with a sacrifice shot to deep left that scored Durning, giving the Red Storm a two run lead and eventually the victory.
