St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Fairfield
St. John's Downs Fairfield
3/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 25, 2008
QUEENS, N.Y. - The Red Storm softball team (11-15) defeated the Stags of Fairfield (6-15) 10-4 in a single game makeup of its postponed affair on March 19. St. John's got down early, but rebounded to score five runs in the second inning on its way to a win over the Stags.
"Obviously, offense was the story of the day," said head coach Amy Kvilhaug. "We got down early but were able to score when we needed to. We are just playing good softball right now. Our freshman pitching is progressing and senior's Lisa [Geer] and [Alyson] Funn really had a good day."
St. John's trailed in the early going when the Stags got three unearned runs in the top of the first as an error allowed a run to score and the inning to continue. The next batter was then able to slug a two-run home run and put the Red Storm in a three run hole entering the bottom of the first.
After going through the bottom of the first with nothing across, St. John's got its first base runner in the bottom of the second which opened the floodgates. The Red Storm was able to load the bases on a single to the pitcher, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. The next play resulted in an error by Fairfield which allowed Roxy Struble to score from third. A double steal on the next play let Brandy Reyes score from third, further cutting into the Fairfield lead.
The offense kept rolling when senior co-captain Lisa Geer blasted a double to left to score Alyson Funn and tie the game at three. A single by junior Melissa Pilley, the next batter, also came with a Fairfield error which let Geer score from second, giving St. John's the lead.
Senior co-captain and second baseman Bionka King also singled to put Pilley on third. When King attempted a steal of second, Pilley was able to break for home and score the Red Storm's fifth run of the inning.
After struggling in the first inning, freshman starter Kat Lawrence was able to settle down nicely, retiring the side in order in the second and striking out all three batters she faced in the third. Lawrence also set down all three batters in the fourth.
In the bottom of the third, St. John's was able to add to its lead when Reyes singled through the left side to score Kacee Cox. Reyes advanced on the next play when Funn reached on an error by the shortstop and then scored along with Struble who was on third when the center fielder made the second error of the play.
Funn tacked on some insurance in the fifth when she stroked her first home run of the season and first ever with St. John's. Not to be outdone, Geer followed with a solo home run of her own in almost the same spot giving the Red Storm a 10-3 lead.
A day after being named BIG EAST Player of the Week, Struble went 2-for-3 on the day with two runs. Funn finished 1-for-2 with two runs, a home run and an RBI.
Geer had one her best days for the Red Storm this year, going 3-for-3 with two runs, two RBI, two doubles and a home run.
Lawrence finished a 6.0 inning effort, getting her sixth win of the season while striking out 10 and only allowing one earned run on four hits.
St. John's will host Monmouth tomorrow afternoon at Red Storm Field. The first game of the doubleheader is slated for 3 p.m.
