St. John’s Softball Splits Doubleheader with Seton Hall

Saturday, March 20

South Orange, NJ

12 p.m.

St. John's University

4-6, 1-3

Seton Hall

4-9, 1-3

St. John's

Seton Hall

St. John’s Softball Splits Doubleheader with Seton Hall

3/20/2021 5:59:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game One Box Score Game Two Box Score

Red Storm wins game one, 6-4; falls in game two, 6-1

By: Kenny Conrade

South Orange, N.J. (March 20, 2021) – The St. John's softball team split its doubleheader with Seton Hall at Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field on Saturday afternoon, taking game one, 6-4, before falling in game two, 6-1.

The Red Storm (4-7, 1-4 BIG EAST) took game one behind a tremendous first inning rally which plated six runs on two hits. Kayla Kmett (2-3) earned the win, pitching the complete game and striking out four Pirates hitters. In game two, Seton Hall (5-9, 2-3 BIG EAST) used a four-run first inning of its own to grab the lead and never look back.

The corner infielders led the way offensively for the Red Storm, as Marissa Rizzi was on base in five of her seven plate appearances on the day and stole three bases, while Gretchen Bowie went 3-7 with a double and was the only St. John's player to record two hits in game two. Kalei Sorensen, Peyton Cody, Amelia Ditolvo and Kamryn Tiumalu each recorded RBIs as well for the Johnnies, who were held to nine hits over the twin bill.

Kelsey Carr recorded every out on the day for the Pirates in the circle, as she entered in relief in game one and held the Red Storm to one hit while striking out nine. In game two, the Seton Hall righthander surrendered six hits and struck out six in the win.

Game One

St. John's did all of its scoring in game one in the first inning, as they tagged Pirates starter Shelby Smith for six runs, two of them earned, as she was not able to record an out in the frame. The Johnnies sent 12 hitters to the plate in the inning, as Bowie led the game off with a single which was followed by the first eight batters of the game reaching base, with the first five coming in to score.

Rizzi, who was on base in all four of her plate appearances in game one, reached with a walk which was followed up by an RBI single from Cody to get the Red Storm on the board. Gabriella Conca walked and Sorensen reached on an error to load the bases, as both would come on to score. Elyse Morris also came around to plate the sixth and final run of a big first inning for the Red Storm.

Kmett came out and set the tone in the circle, as she set the Pirates down in order in the first. Carr, who came on in relief in the first inning, would silence the Red Storm bats beginning in the second inning, as she surrendered just one hit and allowed five St. John's hitters to reach base over a scoreless seven innings of work.

The Pirates would threaten against Kmett in each of the middle innings, as they added one run in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth. The St. John's starter, however, worked herself out of jams and kept the lead intact throughout.

The Red Storm senior pitcher settled into a groove in the fifth inning, as she allowed just three base runners over the final three frames. In the seventh, the Pirates had the tying run at the plate in their best hitter this season, Darby Pandolfo, but Sorensen made a running grab in left field and doubled up the runner at second base to end the threat and give the Red Storm its first BIG EAST win of 2021.

Game Two

Following St. John's lead from game one, Seton Hall got off to a strong start in game two, as they tagged Red Storm starter Erin Brown (1-3) for four runs on five hits in the inning to get out to an early lead, 4-0.

While Brown settled into a groove and did not surrender a run over the next three frames, the Red Storm bats struggled to solve Carr in the circle. Over the first three innings, the Johnnies had just two base runners, as Bowie led the game of with a single and freshman Melanie Santos added a single to left-center field of her own in the second inning.

Down 4-0 after four, the Red Storm put together its best offensive inning in the fourth, as Rizzi led off being hit by a pitch and stealing second base. Sorensen then stepped up to the plate with two outs and delivered an RBI single to right field, narrowing the gap to three, 4-1.

The St. John's bats went quietly in the fifth before the Pirates were able to break through against Brown, tacking on a run in the home half of the frame before Angela Saric entered the game and was able to finish off the inning with Seton Hall leading, 5-1. The Pirates tacked on a run against Saric in the sixth to stretch their lead and eventually take game two, 6-1.

The Pirates and Red Storm will face off in game three tomorrow at noon at Essex County Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field. The game will be streamed on the Pirates Sports Network via SHUPirates.com.