St. John's University Athletics
St. John's University
Providence
St. John's Splits Doubleheader With Providence
4/28/2018 12:00:00 AM | Softball
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -
The St. John's softball team continued BIG EAST play with a split doubleheader. The Johnnies dropped 10-0 in the opener, before capitalizing in a 6-1 victory over Providence in the second of the three-game series on Saturday afternoon.
Game One
Despite the loss, McKenzie Murray did not allow a hit over the first three innings of play, before St. John's dropped to Providence 10-0.
St. John's scattered five hits on the afternoon but left five runners on base.
Senior second baseman Hannah Anderson registered two hits in as many at-bats to lead the Red Storm, logging two singles. Gretchen Bowie, Marissa Rizzi and Laura Delgado each picked up a base hit for St. John's.
Both programs were slow to get on the board, going scoreless over the first three frames. Providence got the scoring started in the bottom of the fourth with a base hit to plate two runners and give the Friars a 2-0 lead.
Looking to answer in the top of the fifth inning, Rizzi led off with a single to center field. Anderson followed that with a base hit to third, placing runners on first and second with no outs for St. John's. Delgado was next at-bat, the sophomore registered a sacrifice bunt to advance runners to second and third. The Friars then retired the next two St. John's batters to end the Red Storm threat.
Providence tacked on eight more runs in the bottom of the fifth including a walk-off grand slam to shut out St. John's 10-0.
GAME TWO
Madison Morris picked up her 11th win of the season in a near perfect pitching performance, allowing just one earned run over seven innings of work to help St. John's to a 6-1 victory.
Additionally, the junior pitcher gave up just six hits, and four walks, while striking out a total six Providence batters.
Rizzi tallied a team-best two hits in three at bats for St. John's with one of those resulting in an RBI. The sophomore recorded a total three hits on the day to tie with Anderson for the most over two games.
Seven other players recorded hits for the Johnnies to account for a total nine base knocks in game two. Bryant went 1-for-3 at the plate, registering a team-best two RBIs.
St. John's wasted no time, driving in a total four runs in the opening frame. Bowie drew a walk to get things started for St. John's. One batter later, Krystal Puga reached on a fielding error before a wild pitch advanced Puga and plated Bowie. St. John's jumped out to an early 1-0 lead.
Still in the first frame, Rizzi and Jessi Bryant recorded back-to-back base hits for St. John's, scoring three more runs as the Johnnies extended their lead to 4-0.
Following a scoreless second and third inning for both programs, Anderson continued to bring the hits on the day with a single to shortstop. Two batters later, Puga belted a single up the middle as Anderson advanced to third. Kaitlin Mattera was next at bat, the Coventry. R.I., native grounded out but not before Anderson slid into home to give St. John's a 5-0 lead.
The Red Storm walked in another run in the visitor half of the sixth to extend the teams lead to 6-0.
Providence got on the board in the bottom of that same frame with a leadoff home run to make it a five run ball game. That would be the Friars lone run of the inning as Morris came up clutch, sending Providence down swinging, leaving all three runners stranded on base.
The Red Storm returns to action tomorrow, facing off against Providence in the final game of the series, first pitch is scheduled for noon.
