St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Syracuse
St. John's Tripped Up Versus Syracuse
4/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 18, 2008
Syracuse, N.Y. - The St. John's softball team (16-31, 2-14) traveled to Syracuse to take the Orange (16-25, 7-7) in a two game slate. Game one was highlighted by a phenomenal pitching duel that lasted nine innings, but ended in a 1-0 Syracuse win. Game two featured more pitching but the Red Storm were outscored 2-1.
"Our pitching was great today," said head Amy Kvilhaug. "Both Kat [Lawrence] and Lisa [Geer} pitched very well and that is what you need against BIG EAST opponents. We just could not get any runs across for them. Our offense needs to find a way to support our pitching."
In game one, Syracuse got its first runner into scoring position after a reach on error by the first batter in the bottom of the first. Freshman starter Kat Lawrence was unfazed, retiring the next three batters in order and stranding the Orange's base runner at third.
After facing only one batter over the minimum while holding the Orange hitless for two innings, Lawrence got her first strikeout of the game to start off the top of the third. Lawrence retired the next batter on a groundout, but Syracuse got its first hit of the day on a weak grounder up the middle. An error on the next play gave the Orange runners on first and third but Lawrence stayed steady, striking out the final batter to end the inning.
Syracuse led off the bottom of the fifth with their second hit of the game. Lawrence kept dealing, getting the next batter to pop out on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Senior tri-captain Danielle Estrada helped the cause, making an astounding play on a ball hit over her head. The shortstop managed to make the catch with her back to the ball, charging towards left field. Lawrence did the rest, getting the third out on a pop fly, keeping the score tied at zero.
St. John's led off the top of the seventh inning with a single up the middle from sophomore Brandy Reyes. It was just the third hit of the day for the Red Storm. Syracuse's Chanel Roehner would only bend, not break, as she proceeded to record her ninth and tenth strikeouts of the game and get the Orange out of the inning unscathed.
Lawrence was just as impressive in the bottom of the seventh. The freshman set the side down in order, extending the game to the eighth inning..
St. John's got the first hit in extra innings when senior tri-captain Bionka King laid down a bunt single. King then stole second to give the Red Storm a runner in scoring position with one out. After a pop out, graduate student Alyson Funn came within a foot of giving St. John's a 2-0 lead but the right fielder was able to make the catch and end the inning.
Lawrence was able to retire the side in the bottom of the eighth and freshman teammate Kacee Cox led off the top of ninth with a single but St. John's was unable to put anything together against Syracuse's Roehner.
The nine inning pitchers duel came to end in the bottom half of the inning when Syracuse's Rachel Tilford put a ball just over the center field fence to give Syracuse the 1-0 victory.
Lawrence and Roehner both went the distance and each gave up just five hits.
In game two, St. John's got a runner in scoring position early, after a single by freshman Chelsea Durning and then a sacrifice bunt by Funn. A single to left by Reyes allowed Durning to score, giving St. John's its first run of the game and, of the day.
Syracuse got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. After a single and a sacrifice bunt, a double allowed the runner to score from second, tying the game one.
In the bottom of the fifth, the Orange was able to take the lead on an RBI double. Even after the damage, Geer was able to settle down and retire the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Geer was lights out in the bottom of the sixth, retiring the side in order and not letting a ball out of the infield. The senior also recorded her fourth and fifth strikeouts to give St. John's a chance in the top of the seventh.
Syracuse's Brittany Gardener capped off her complete game pitching effort, retiring the side in the bottom of the seventh and securing the win for the Orange.
Geer finished game two with a line of six innings, five strikeouts, four hits and only two runs.
The Red Storm travels to Pittsburgh to face the Panthers in the team's second BIG EAST doubleheader of the weekend. First pitch is slated for noon on Sunday at Trees Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.
