St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Youngstown State
Red Storm Closes Charleston Southern Tournament With Two Wins
2/20/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 20, 2010
STJ-Youngstown State Box Score | STJ-Charleston Southern Box Score
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. - Kristi Cady blasted a grand slam and totaled seven RBI, Chrissy Montez reached base five times and the St. John's softball pitching staff found its groove on Saturday as the Red Storm finished strong in the Charleston Southern Tournament. STJ defeated Youngstown State, 10-0, in five frames and topped tournament host Charleston Southern, 4-2.
The Red Storm improved to 4-1 with the wins, tying for the best five-game start in program history. St. John's was previously 4-1 in 1992 and 2004.
St. John's wasted little time taking control of its second meeting with Youngstown State (0-3) in 24 hours, jumping ahead 6-0 in the first frame en route to a five-inning victory. With Chelsea Durning, Amber Curry and Kacee Cox all on base to start the game, Stacia Dopudja drove in the first run of the game with on a ground out to shortstop. STJ's lead grew to 5-0 when, with the bases still loaded, Cady hammered a pitch over the left field wall for the grand slam and her first career home run. Later in the inning, Curry drove in Dominique Marcelino with a single down the left side.
In the second inning, Cady, a sophomore center fielder, notched a one-out single down the left side to bring Montez home from second base and expand St. John's lead to 7-0. Meghan Gwynn pinch ran for Dopudja in the fourth inning and plated the eighth run of the game. Cady struck again in the fourth, driving in Montez for her sixth RBI of the game and crossing the plate on a Julia Sanchez single up the middle.
Cady finished 3-of-3 with six RBI, two runs scored and two steals. Montez plated three runs and went 1-of-2 with one walk and one double.
Linzee Sumrall (1-1) rebounded from a rough season debut against Louisville on Friday, tossing five shutout innings with eight strikeouts and just one hit against Youngstown State.
The Red Storm carried over momentum to the following game against Charleston Southern (4-4-1). STJ jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second inning. Sanchez drove in Gwynn from second base on a single to left field. Jenna Berger scored the second run of the game on the ensuing at-bat when Durning reached first on an outfield error.
The Buccaneers answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the second to tie the game a 2-2.
STJ took the lead for good in the third inning. Cady drove in Cox on a single to left field to put the Red Storm ahead, 3-2. Montez scored the final run of the game when Gwynn grounded out to second base in the next at-bat.
Montez finished 3-of-3 with one run scored and one stolen base against Charleston Southern. Cox was 2-of-4 from the plate with one double and one run scored.
Montez made a big defensive play for the third out of the fourth inning. With CSU's Melissa Adams on first, the Bucs' Megan Hall hit a double to deep center field. Adams sprinted around third to go in for the score, only to come up short after Cady relayed the ball to the Montez, who gunned it to Cox at the plate for the tag.
Kat Lawrence improved to 3-0 on the season after throwing seven innings with 15 strikeouts. She allowed three hits and two earned runs.
St. John's next heads to Athens, Ga., for the Seventh Annual Georgia Softball Classic. The Red Storm will face South Alabama on Feb. 26, Iowa State and No. 6/8 Georgia on Feb. 27, and Charleston Southern on Feb. 28.
