St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
UC Riverside
St. John's Splits Doubleheader with UC Riverside on Tuesday
2/27/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Box Score Game One
Box Score Game Two
RIVERSIDE, Calif. - The St. John's softball team split its doubleheader on Tuesday with UC Riverside to close out its eight-game stretch in California. The Highlanders (11-6) rallied back for a 2-1 victory in the opener, while the Red Storm (3-10) brought the offense in the finale, snapping a six-game losing skid with a 7-2 victory.
Game One
The Red Storm maintained the lead from the top of the second until the game's final three batters, but a two-run, bottom of the seventh rally pushed UC Riverside to a 2-1 triumph.
McKenzie Murray took to the circle for the Johnnies, and pitched well despite the loss. The senior scattered seven hits, allowed a pair of runs, and struck out three over 6.2 innings.
After both sides were retired in order to start the game, the Red Storm opened scoring in the top of the second when Marissa Rizzi belted a leadoff homerun over the right-center-field wall to put the Johnnies up 1-0.
Following the homerun the pitchers for both teams began to take over, with each tossing four-straight scoreless innings to send the game to the seventh with the Johnnies holding a 1-0 advantage.
After the Red Storm saw two players reach in the top of the inning, the Highlanders threatened in the bottom of the seventh. UC Riverside tied the game at 1-1 with a sacrifice fly following a leadoff double and single. Just two batters later, Emma Ramelot delivered a walk-off single to complete the late-inning rally and captured the 2-1 win.
Game Two
Led by a Madison Morris complete game and a seven-run offensive barrage, the Red Storm led wire-to-wire in a 7-2 victory in the finale.
Morris secured her second win of the season by allowing just four hits and failing to surrender an earned run. The junior also struck out five and did not issue a walk.
Kaitlin Mattera led the squad with two hits while Christina Melendez and Rizzi each drove in a pair of runs to help halt the six-game winless drought.
The Johnnies started the scoring with a bang in the top of the first when Krystal Puga homered to center field, marking her fourth homerun of the season and giving the Red Storm an early 1-0 lead.
After Mattera drew a walk, Rizzi sent one out of the park, for her second on the day, with a two-run shot to left center to put the Johnnies up 3-0.
Morris retired the side in order to send St. John's back to plate with the momentum favoring the visitors. In the next half inning, the Johnnies continued to grow their lead with a three-hit, three-run inning.
Following an error allowing Amelia Ditolvo to score and with runners on first and second, Melendez ripped a two-run single to bring Lauren Zick and Elyse Morris home, and extended the lead to six for visitors.
The Highlanders finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth, driving in a pair of runs to cut the Johnnies lead to 6-2, but Morris shut the door on any further rally for UC Riverside.
The Red Storm added a final insurance run in the top of the seventh when Mattera ripped an RBI double into right field, scoring Rizzi, to cement the decisive, 7-2 victory.
St. John's returns to action on Friday in Towson, Md., for the TU Invite. Hosted by Towson University, the Red Storm will battle Quinnipiac at 10 a.m. before taking on the host Tigers at 3 p.m.
