St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Syracuse
St. John's Splits BIG EAST Doubleheader With Syracuse
4/8/2009 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 8, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - The St. John's softball team (17-15, 7-5) took on BIG EAST-rival Syracuse (18-12, 7-3), in a doubleheader at Red Storm Field, and split the two-game set. STJ took the victory in game one, 4-3, while game two went to Syracuse, 7-1.
Defense dominated game one for the first two and a half innings before St. John's struck in the bottom of the third. Junior transfer Stacia Dopudja roped a solo home run over the right field fence to put the Red Storm up, 1-0.
The St. John's offense added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior Shauntaine Harris lead off the inning with a double to leftfield, and an intentional walk to senior Roxy Struble gave the squad two runners on for sophomore Kacee Cox. The catcher capitalized on the opportunity, blasting an opposite field home run which increased the Red Storm advantage to four.
Syracuse threatened in the top of the seventh inning, using two hits and two errors to plate three runs using only one out. Sophomore Kat Lawrence entered the game in relief and struck out the next two batters to record her first-career save, and preserve the 4-3 victory for St. John's.
Sophomore starter Linzee Sumrall picked up the win for the Red Storm, going 6.1 innings, giving up just four hits and striking out eight to improve to 9-7 on the season.
Game two started much as game one did as pitching and defense limited any offensive production until the fourth inning. Syracuse's Nicole Miller gave the Orange its first lead of the day in the top of fourth, with a solo home run to leftfield.
Syracuse had a big sixth inning as the Orange batted around the order and used six hits and one error to cross six runs and increase its lead to seven.
The Red Storm refused to go down quietly as Dopudja answered in the bottom of the sixth with her second home run of the day, a solo shot to right-center that put St. John's on the board, 7-1.
Syracuse's freshman pitcher Jenna Caira, who was coming off a no-hitter vs. Villanova, continued her hot pitching streak as of late. Caira finished the complete-game allowing just four hits while striking out seven. The Red Storm did end her scoreless streak which halted at 17.0 innings.
St. John's is back-in-action tomorrow at Red Field when the squad takes on St. Peter's in a non-conference doubleheader at 2 p.m. STJ continues its BIG EAST schedule on Monday, April 13, when the team travels to Villanova for doubleheader 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.
