Freshmen Debut Leads Softball To First Win Of Season

Friday, February 7

Boca Raton, Fla.

9:00 AM

St. John's University

Tulsa

Freshmen Debut Leads Softball To First Win Of Season

2/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball

Feb. 7, 2014

BOCA RATON, Fla. - In a day where five freshmen earned their first collegiate hits, the St. John's softball team earned its first win of 2014 in a come-from-behind win over Ohio State on Friday. The win came after dropping a tough game to Tulsa, 5-1, earlier in the morning.

Game One: Tulsa 5, St. John's 1

The Red Storm picked up its first run of the season when Jackie Reed sent a solo homerun in the third inning but unfortunately it was not enough as it fell to Tulsa, 5-1, in the first game of the FAU "Kick-Off" Classic on Friday morning. The Golden Hurricane is one of seven teams that St. John's plays in 2014, receiving 23 votes in the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) Top 25 Poll.

Sophomore Tori Free started things off strong with back-to-back strikeouts before Tulsa was able to earn the first hit of the game on a Julie Kernen single. With two out and one on, the Red Storm were unable to get out of the inning as Tulsa took advantage of a St. John's error and a ball in the dirt to take the early 1-0 lead.

Despite a one-out single by freshman Lexi Robles in the bottom half of the frame, Tulsa jumped back out in the top of the second with three runs to take a 4-1 advantage.

St. John's began to threaten in the bottom of the second as Kaitlin Fitzgerald sent a lead-off single into right for her first collegiate hit. After two quick outs, the Red Storm loaded the bases on a Monique Landini hit-by-pitch and a Kelsey Moyer walk, but were unable to get a run as Tulsa ended the threat and left the bases loaded.

In the bottom of the third, Reed stepped up big for the Red Storm, sending a two-out blast over the right-center fence for the first St. John's run of the 2014 season and cut the Golden Hurricane lead to 4-1.

After adding another run in the top of the seventh, Tulsa went on to take a 5-1 victory and hand St. John's its first loss of the season. Free took the loss after three innings of work, allowing three earned runs on three hits while striking out five of her 17 batters faced. Caitlin Sill (1-0) earned the win after six innings, allowing only one run on four hits while striking out seven.

Game Two: St. John's 6, Ohio State 3

Ohio State started to attack early in the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles but Ellen Czuba was able to track down a ball in right and fire it in for a Landini-Burner relay at the plate to hold off a Buckeye rally.

Although OSU was able to get a run across on an RBI single, junior Francesca Carrullo was able to work back-to-back outs to end the inning trailing 1-0.

The Red Storm used the momentum from the first-inning relay and took advantage of wild Buckeye pitching, working four consecutive walks to tie the game at 1-1.

After a two-run homerun in the bottom of the fourth by the Buckeyes to give Ohio State a 3-1 lead, the Red Storm looked to rally back as Robles worked a one-out walk before Rericha and Burner teamed up for back-to-back singles to load the bases and force a Buckeye pitching change.

With a new pitcher in the circle, Reed ripped a ball off the third baseman's glove to score a run before Wilkens ripped the eventual game-winning hit, a two-RBI single into center to give the Red Storm its first lead of the season up 4-3.

St. John's continued its work in the top of the sixth as Mackenzie Cleary singled up the middle and MacKenna Neuroth walked to put two on with nobody out. With the help of a Robles' sac bunt, the Red Storm loaded the bases and scored on a wild pitch to take the 5-3 lead heading into the seventh.

The momentum continued in the seventh as with a leadoff double by Burner and a base hit through the left side by Reed to put runners on the corner. With one out, Landini stepped up and ripped an RBI double down the left field line, putting the Red Storm ahead 6-3 to force a Buckeye pitching change.

Free (1-1) picked up the win in game two after throwing three innings of shutout relief, allowing only one hit while striking out four. Carrullo worked four innings of work in the start, allowing six hits while striking out a pair.

Reed led the way in both games, combining for a .429 average (3-for-7) with a homerun and two RBI. Fitzgerald started her collegiate debut with a bang, going 2-for-5 in her two games. Along with Fitzgerald, Robles, Landini, Wilkens and Cleary each earned the first hit of their collegiate careers.

The Red Storm looks to keep the momentum rolling on Saturday as they take on Northern Illinois (11 a.m.) and Florida Atlantic (6 p.m.) in day two of the FAU "Kick-Off" Classic.

For all the latest news on the St. John's softball team, log on to RedStormSports.com and follow the team (@StJohnsSoftball) on Twitter. You can join the conversation with #SJUSB. If you would like to be added to the St. John's softball mailing list, send an email to stjcommunications@stjohns.edu with the subject line "Softball Mailing List".