St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Seton Hall
Seton Hall Takes Doubleheader From St. John's
4/10/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
April 10, 2010
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's fell in both games of its doubleheader against Seton Hall on Saturday at Red Storm Field.
The Pirates (11-19, 2-6 BIG EAST) took the first game, 4-0, as the St. John's offense struggled to get going. In the second game, STJ's late-game rally fell short as Seton Hall held on for a 3-2 win over the Red Storm (13-20, 2-5 BIG EAST).
GAME 2: SETON HALL 3, ST. JOHN'S 2
St. John's starter Kat Lawrence kept Seton Hall in check early the second game, striking out two and allowing two hits through the first three frames. But the Pirates got on the board in the fourth when Nicole Loewenstein opened the fourth inning with a solo home run to left.
Seton Hall's lead grew to 3-0 in the fifth. With the bases loaded, STJ first baseman Stacia Dopudja made a great play for the first out of the inning, diving in front of home plate to catch a pop off a failed bunt attempt. With one out, Loewenstein hit a sacrifice fly to left field to score Laura Canulli from third base. In the next at-bat, Michelle Reed scored on a wild pitch.
The Red Storm offense got rolling in the sixth. Chelsea Durning drilled an 0-1 pitch off SHU starter Danielle Zanzalari for a leadoff single up the middle. In the next at-bat, Amber Curry reached on a sac bunt and throwing error by the pitcher and Durning advanced to third base. Three batters later, St. John's pulled to within 3-2 after Durning and Curry both scored when Kristi Cady reached base on a fielding error by the Seton Hall second baseman.
After Lawrence made quick work of Seton Hall with two strikeouts in the top of the seventh, St. John's had a chance to tie or win the game in the bottom half of the inning. Meghan Gwynn and Julia Sanchez led off the frame with back-to-back walks, putting STJ's tying and winning run on base. But the Red Storm rally came up short after Pirates subbed in game-one winner Ashley Forsyth, who notched a strikeout and induced a double play to earn the save.
Durning went 2-of-4 in the game with one run scored. Curry scored a run and stole one base. Kacee Cox and Gwynn each recorded one hit in the game. Sanchez drew two walks and recorded one stolen base.
Lawrence (7-5) was tagged with the loss after throwing seven innings with five strikeouts and three earned runs allowed. Zanzalari (2-3) earned the win after 5.2 innings of work with three strikeouts and two runs (none earned) given up.
GAME 1: SETON HALL 4, ST. JOHN'S 0
Seton Hall took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Nicole Loewenstein hit a one out double to left field, plating Jaime Gates and Laura Canulli. The Red Storm picked up the second out of the inning on that play, as third baseman Julia Sanchez hurled the relay to catcher Kacee Cox, who tagged out Nalin Bennett at home plate. St. John's starter Linzee Sumrall sent Kristen Kaelin down swinging to get out of the inning.
The Pirates extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fourth when Brittany Schillizzi scored an unearned run when teammate Kirby Groves was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Red Storm used a Seton Hall defensive lapse in the home to start a rally. With two outs, Stacia Dopudja struck out swinging but reached first on a muffed catch by Kaelin on the throw to first base. Amber Curry followed with a single to left side, giving STJ two runners on, but both were left stranded.
Seton Hall scored the final run of the game when Kaelin hit a one-out solo home run to left field.
Curry and Chrissy Montez each went 1-of-3 in the game. Shauntaine Harris and Kristi Cady each drew one walk.
Sumrall (5-11) took the loss after tossing seven innings with seven strikeouts and four runs allowed (three earned). Seton Hall starter Ashley Forsyth (6-7) picked up the win after seven shutout innings and five strikeouts.
The Red Storm closes out the season series against Seton Hall with a single game Sunday at noon at Red Storm Field. Sunday is Softball Alumnae Day and St. John's will celebrate the careers and contributions of three alums before the game.
NOTES: With one stolen base on Saturday, Amber Curry now has a team-high 15 on the season… Curry's 15 swipes tie Bionka King's 2008 mark for the seventh-most steals in a single season… St. John's had five stolen bases in game two, pushing its season total to 48.
