St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Pittsburgh
St. John's Splits With Pittsburgh
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 20, 2008
Pittsburgh, Pa. - The St. John's softball team (17-32, 3-15) took on the Panthers of Pittsburgh (27-18, 10-6) in a doubleheader at Trees Field. Game one came down to the wire as the Red Storm was able to load the bases in final frame, but Pittsburgh came away with the win, 5-2. Pitching dominated game two for the Red Storm as the team won 2-0.
"This group has a lot of heart and it showed today," said head Amy Kvilhaug. "They came out and really wanted it, and in the second game our execution allowed us to do the things we wanted to do."
In game one, Pittsburgh was first to strike in the bottom of the first. After a bunt single, the Panthers got a home run to left field from their cleanup hitter, giving Pittsburgh the 2-0 lead.
In the bottom of the second, freshman starter Kat Lawrence settled down and struck out the first batter. After a single up the middle, Lawrence struck out the next two batters to end the inning and give her four strikeouts in just two innings.
Pittsburgh added to its lead in the bottom of third after two singles gave the Panthers runners on second and third. A wild pitch allowed a run to score and give Pittsburgh a 3-0 lead.
The St. John's offense came through in the top of the fifth, loading the bases with no outs. An error by the Pittsburgh second baseman allowed Bionka King to score and gave the Red Storm its first run of the game. Freshman Kacee Cox added to St. John's run total with a sacrifice fly to center which scored Melissa Pilley and pushed the score to 3-2.
The Panthers got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning. The first came on a double steal after back-to-back singles. The second resulted from an RBI double two batters later, making the score 5-2.
In the bottom of the sixth, Lawrence was able to set the side down in order to give the Red Storm a chance in the final inning.
St. John's threatened in the bottom the seventh, loading the bases on a hit-by-pitch by Alyson Funn, a single by Cox and another single by Brandy Reyes. In the end, it was the Pittsburgh defense that triumphed as the second baseman made a great stab and throw to end game one for the Red Storm.
In the second game senior starter Lisa Geer came out strong for St. John's. Geer allowed only one hit through the first three innings. The tri-captain had two 1-2-3 innings and struck out one.
St. John's was first to score in game two. In the fourth inning, the Red Storm became the first of either team to get multiple base runners on. The Red Storm got a hit to the second baseman from sophomore Shauntaine Harris with runners on first and third. Harris was able to beat the throw and allow Reyes to score, giving St. John's the 1-0 lead.
In the top of the sixth, Geer helped her own cause. The pitcher took the second pitch she saw and roped it over the left field wall for her fifth home run of the season. The shot gave St. John's a 2-0 lead.
Geer closed out her phenomenal day for the Red Storm setting the Panthers down in order in the sixth and striking out two in the seventh, earning St. John's its third BIG EAST win of the year.
St. John's senior standout, Geer, finished with a line of 1-for-3 at the plate with a sacrifice bunt and a home run, and a complete game, two-hitter. Geer struck out six batters and boasted four innings in which she retired the side in order.
The Red Storm returns home to Red Storm Field for a single game versus Manhattan on Wednesday April 23. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
