St. John's University Athletics
Red Storm Softball Ready For Worth Invitational
2/28/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 28, 2008
Fullerton, Calif. - Red Storm set for two at the Worth Invitational.
• The Red Storm heads to Fullerton, Calif. to compete in the Worth Invitational on Friday, Feb. 29. St. John's is coming off of a 5-4 defeat at Fullerton on Wednesday night.
• St. John's is slated to take on the Aggies of UC Davis at 9 a.m. UC Davis is 9-7 on the season and coming off a 6-0 loss to Sacramento State. The Red Storm and the Aggies have never faced each other before.
• The Red Storm will take on No. 8/10 Stanford at 3:45 p.m. in its second game of the Worth Invitational. The Cardinal are 16-1on the season and are coming off a 6-0 win over the BIG EAST's own Providence College. This will be the first meeting of the two teams.
• This is the Red Storm's ninth and tenth games on this 12-game California road trip. St. John's will travel to Cal State Northridge to take on the Matadors in a double-header on March 1 to end the trip.
STORM TRACKER
Freshmen Sensation
• St. John's freshman third baseman 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.
• 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 Lawrence had one of her best outings of the year, going eight innings and striking out eight.
STJ vs. UC Santa Barbara
• 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 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 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. Brandy 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.
STJ vs. Long Beach State
• Pitchers dominated the second game of the double-header as freshmen Lawrence and Brooke Turner faced off. Turner posted an astounding line of just 3 hits in 7 innings with 9 strikeouts, but was outdone by her St. John's counterpart. Lawrence had the best game of her young career, allowing just seven hits while striking out five in a complete game shutout. St. John's run came in the third inning off the bat of freshman Cox, when the third baseman doubled to score King, who also had doubled just two batters earlier.
STJ vs. Fullerton
• Being down early did not stop the Red Storm from attempting a valiant comeback when trailing 5-0 in the seventh, as Shauntaine Harris doubled with one out to score Estrada. The next batter, King, singled through the left side to advance Harris, who scored on the play on an errant throw from the catcher. Two batters later, Cox blasted a home run to center field to cut the deficit to one. Freshman starter Lawrence had a good showing after her complete game shutout against Long Beach State just a day earlier. Lawrence finished with eight strikeouts in just six innings, while giving up seven hits.
