St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Michigan
St. John's Defeated By No. 29 Michigan, 4-2
2/22/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 22, 2009
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - A ninth-inning rally fell short as the St. John's baseball team fell to No. 29 Michigan, 4-2, in the BIG EAST-Big Ten Challenge. Brian Kemp and Greg Hopkins had two hits apiece to pace St. John's (2-1), while Jimmy Parque and Gino Matias had an RBI apiece. Red Storm starter Nick Luisi (0-1) allowed two runs in four innings, while striking out five. For Michigan (4-0), Eric Katzman earned the win after scattering seven hits and allowing just one run in 7.0 innings.
After walking the first two batters in the top of the first, Luisi settled down to retire the next two on a foul out to first and a strike out. However, after an infield single on a slow chopper by Jake McLouth, Nick Urban singled up the middle to plate two runs and give Michigan the early 2-0 lead.
Luisi would walk the lead off batter in the second, but would go on to retire six of the next seven batters, including striking out the side in the third.
St. John's scored one run in the bottom of the third to cut into the Michigan lead. After Kemp singled through the right side with one out, Carlos Del Rosario doubled to deep left center on the first pitch of his at-bat to give the Red Storm runners on second and third. Jimmy Parque then sent a sacrifice fly into right field to plate Kemp.
Eddie Medina entered in relief of Luisi and worked a scoreless fifth inning before allowing one run in the sixth. Chris Berset led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Fellows then plated Berset with a single into right field and Michigan led 3-1. Catcher Joe Witkowski then threw out a pair of base runners attempting to steal second to end the inning.
St. John's went to the bullpen again in the seventh as lefty Kevin Kilpatrick made his debut and worked 2.0 scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
Michigan would add insurance with a run in the ninth. After Rich Armento induced a grounder for the first out, he walked the next batter. Ryan Cole then entered and walked three-straight batters to force in one run before being lifted in favor of Miguel Valcarcel. The righty tallied a strikeout and induced a grounder to end the inning and keep it a 4-1 game.
Greg Hopkins led off the ninth with a walk, but the next two batters were retired. Gino Matias then doubled into right center to chase home pinch runner Scott Ferrara from first with the Red Storm's second run of the game. Mike Dufek would induce a game-ending grounder, however, to earn the save and end the game at 4-2.
St. John's next travels to Greenville, N.C., from Feb. 27-March 1 for a trio of games as part of the Keith LeClair Classic.
