St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Quinnipiac
St. John's Wins Title At Longwood Leadoff Classic
2/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 22, 2009
Box Score: STJ vs. Quinnipiac | STJ vs. Longwood | Photo Gallery 
Farmville, Va. - The St. John's softball team (6-3) took the championship crown at the Longwood Leadoff Classic on Sunday. The Red Storm received stellar pitching all weekend, en route to its best start since 1999. STJ downed the Quinnipiac Bobcats (0-3) in the fifth game of the Longwood Leadoff Classic on Sunday morning, 3-1, moving the team into the title game. Against Longwood (4-5) in the championship , St. John's run-ruled the Lancers in six innings, 8-0.
Versus Quinnipiac, sophomore starter Kat Lawrence was lights out for St. John's striking out 14 of the 24 batters she faced. Lawrence ended her complete game performance allowing just two hits, one run and two walks. This feat comes just 20 hours after fellow sophomore Linzee Sumrall threw a complete game shutout with 13 strikeouts vs. Bucknell. The St. John's pitching staff now has 27 strikeouts in its last 14 innings pitched.
St. John's was first to get on the board after senior Melissa Pilley reached on error by the pitcher, then advanced to second on a passed ball, and sophomore Chelsea Durning came up to bat in the top of the third inning. Facing a full count and two outs, Durning was able to single up the middle and plated Pilley to record her first RBI of the season and put STJ up 1-0.
Freshman Kristi Cady led off the top fifth inning with a double down the rightfield line. Shortstop Jenna Berger laid down the sacrifice bunt which advanced Cady to third. Two pitches later, Cady slid into home after a wild pitch as St. John's scored its second run of the day.
Quinnipiac got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning with a solo home run from Kim Brezinski, cutting the St. John's lead to 2-1.
The top of the seventh inning started as repeat of the fifth as Cady doubled and Berger attempted the sacrifice bunt. An error on the third baseman on the play allowed Cady to advance and left Berger safe at first. After a steal by Berger and a hit-by-pitch on Durning, St. John's had the bases loaded with one out. Freshman Julia Sanchez came through for the Red Storm as she hit a deep fly to center which scored Cady from third and put STJ back up by two, 3-1.
In the championship game vs. Longwood, St. John's struck first in the top of the third inning when senior Roxy Struble drove in her fourth RBI of the tournament. The corner infielder hit a single over the third baseman's head which scored Durning, who had doubled two batters earlier.
St. John's added to its lead in the top of the fifth inning. After Sanchez reached on an error, she immediately stole second base and advanced to third on a groundout by Durning. Sophomore Shauntaine Harris gave the Red Storm a pinch-hit RBI double and put St. John's up, 2-0. After catcher Kacee Cox was hit by a pitch, freshman Rachel Paragas doubled over the centerfielder's head to score Harris and Cox and put STJ ahead, 4-0.
The hits kept coming for the Red Storm in the top of the sixth as the squad loaded the bases with one out. Durning came to the plate and forced across the Red Storm's fifth run of the game as she worked a walk. Berger followed with an RBI sac-fly to right field which allowed every baserunner to advance and put St. John's up 6-0. Struble followed with double over the centerfielder's head which cleared the bases and pushed the Red Storm advantage to eight.
Sumrall was spectacular in her second outing of the tournament, blanking the Lancers while only allowing two hits and striking out nine in 6.0 innings. The sophomore finished the tournament 2-0 with two complete-game shutouts and 22 strikeouts in 13.0 innings.
Next up, the St. John's softball team travels to Raleigh, N.C. on Friday, Feb. 27 to play in the Wolfpack Invitational, hosted by NC State. The Red Storm will face College of Charleston at noon and Buffalo at 4:30 p.m. of Friday, Canisius at 3:30 p.m. and a rematch vs. C of C at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, before ending the tournament with NC State on Sunday March 1, at 1 p.m.
If you would like to receive the most up-to-date information on the 2008-09 St. John's softball team, please send your e-mail address to michael.gambardella03@stjohns.edu.
