Madison Morris Joins 300-Strikeout Club at USF Series

Friday, March 8

Clearwater, Fla.

12:30 p.m.

St. John's University

7-9

Western Michigan

4-10

Western Michigan

St. John's

Madison Morris Joins 300-Strikeout Club at USF Series

3/9/2019 1:42:00 AM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The right-hander becomes the fifth Johnnie in the last 10 years to fan 300

By: Dylan Smith

            CLEARWATER, Fla. (March 9, 2019) – Senior Madison Morris became one of five St. John's pitchers in the last 10 seasons to strike out 300 career batters in the team's opening day split against Western Michigan and Toledo at the USF Series in Clearwater, Fla., on Friday.

            The Johnnies' ace joins Ashley Beza, Linzee Sumrall, Kat Lawrence and current Assistant Coach Tori Free as the only ones to accomplish the feat since 2009. The Hampton, Va., native also tossed the longest outing of her career. The last pitcher to toss more than seven frames in a game was McKenzie Murray last season against DePaul.

Game 1
            Morris picked up her sixth win and the 300th strikeout of her career in St. John's 5-4 win over Western Michigan (4-11) in eight innings.

            The senior hurler jumped out to a quick start, registering two of her seven strikeouts despite allowing a two-run home run to Sydney Stefanick in the opening frame, 2-0. In the bottom half, the Red Storm retaliated with its first run of the game. Johnnies' right fielder Christina Melendez brought Gretchen Bowie around to score, 2-1, on an RBI single up the middle.

            In the second inning with two outs, Morris sealed the scoreless half by fanning Western Michigan's Erin Barg to pick up number 300.

            After the Broncos' Stefanick hit her second two-run dinger of the game in the third, 4-1, the Johnnies rallied to deadlock the game at four in the bottom frame. St. John's loaded the bases with one out on a single by Amelia Ditolvo and walks to Bowie and Melendez. Freshman Peyton Cody knocked in two runs on a single to left to cut WMU's lead to one, 4-3. In the following at-bat, junior catcher Kaitlin Mattera singled to the right side and tied the game, 4-4.

            There were a combined five base runners between the programs in the final four innings of regulation. Neither team had a runner move past second base.

            In the extra frame, Morris locked down the Broncos threat in the International Tie Breaker. Following a sacrifice bunt to move the runner on second over to third, the right hander held Western Michigan's Samantha Pico at third to get out of the inning unscathed.

            Bowie moved Ditolvo over to third on a sacrifice bunt to start the bottom of the eighth. Rizzi and Melendez both walked to load the bases with one out, setting Cody up with an opportunity to end the game. The Mission Viejo, Calif., native knocked a single into left field to score Rizzi from third and defeat Western Michigan, 5-4.

            Cody was the only player for the Red Storm to register multiple hits and RBIs against the Broncos. She finished the game 2-for-3 with three RBIs, matching her game-highs this season.

Game 2
            St. John's fell to Toledo, 9-8, despite the team's highest run total of the season.

            Toledo (7-9) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a set steal that lured a throw down to second, causing the runner on third to break for the plate.

            After a blank second frame from the Johnnies, the Rockets posted a five-run second inning to extend its lead. Toledo's Aubrey Reed smacked a two-run single to give her team a 3-0 advantage. In the next at-bat, Brianna Robeson hit an RBI triple to expand Toledo's lead, 4-0. The Rockets tacked on two more runs before closing out the inning. One run came on a passed ball, 5-0, and the other crossed the plate on an obstruction call, 6-0.

            In the top of the third, Gretchen Bowie led off with a walk, followed by a stolen base. Reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week Marissa Rizzi drove her junior counterpart in on a single in the next at-bat to cut the deficit to five, 6-1.

            After Kayla Kmett shut down the Rockets in the bottom frame, the Red Storm mounted a comeback in the fourth.

            Natalie Giroux walked and Kaitlyn Lologo doubled to the left to start the inning. Kamryn Tiumalu brought Giroux around to score, 6-2, on an RBI single. Following a walk to Amelia Ditolvo to load the bases, Bowie smashed a bases-clearing, three-run triple to right-center, cutting the Rockets' lead to one, 6-5. Two batters later, Peyton Cody delivered her a two-out, RBI single to knot the contest at six.

            Toledo countered St. John's five-run frame by adding one run in the bottom half. The Rockets took its second lead of the game, 7-6, on an RBI double by Katie Cozy.

            Following a two-run homer, 9-6, by Toledo's Reed in the fifth inning, the Red Storm rebounded with a two-spot of its own in the sixth. Bowie doubled to left-center, putting the leadoff hitter on for the sixth-straight inning. Rizzi swapped spots with Bowie on the base paths, smacking an identical double to left-center, 9-7. The Johnnies closed the gap to one, 9-8, after Cody hit an RBI single to bring Rizzi around to score, 9-8.

            St. John's trio of Bowie, Rizzi and Cody drove in 10 of the team's 13 runs on and combined for nine hits in 20 at-bats on Friday. Bowie scored five runs for the Johnnies in the opening two games, while Cody has driven in five runs.

The Red Storm returns to action on Saturday, taking on USC Upstate at 1:00 p.m., and USF at 6:00 p.m.