St. John’s Falls to Fordham, 7-6, in 10 Innings

Sunday, March 21

Queens, N.Y (Jack Kaiser Stadium)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

9-5

Fordham

9-3

Fordham

St. John's

3/21/2021 5:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Red Storm scored twice in the ninth to force extra innings

By: Andrew O'Connell

After scoring twice in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings, the St. John's baseball team saw Fordham score the game's deciding tally in the top of the 10^th, as the Rams evened the four-game set with a 7-6 win in Sunday's series finale.

Needing the bottom of the ninth for the first time this season at Jack Kaiser Stadium, the Red Storm (9-5) nearly walked it off to avoid extras. With a full count and two outs, Ryan Hogan appeared to check his swing on what would have been ball four, but the first base umpire ruled that he went around, sending the game into the 10^th.

Hogan (2-for-6) was one of three Johnnies to record two hits on the day, as Jake Lazzaro went 2-for-4 with a double and a pair of walks and Carson Bartels went 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Bartels drove in both of those runs with a single in the ninth to extend the game.

David Glancy and Colin Wetterau doubled in the loss while Chuck Sanzio logged his first collegiate base knock.

Brian Hendry started on the hill and fanned a career-high 10 batters over 6.0 innings of two-run work. Vincent Bianchi (0-1) was tagged with the loss after pitching a scoreless ninth and allowing one run in the 10th.

St. John's seemed poised to open up a lead in the opening frame, as Lazzaro and Hogan led off with consecutive base knocks to give the Red Storm runners on the corners with no outs. The next three St. John's batters failed to advance either runner; however, as the Rams escaped the bottom of the first unscathed.

Fordham led off the top of the second with back-to-back singles before a two-out, two-RBI base knock off the bat of Jack Harnisch gave the Rams the first lead of the afternoon, 2-0.

St. John's left runners on the corners again in the bottom of the second before breaking through in the third. David Williams walked with one out before scoring on a two-base throwing error by Fordham starter Brooks Ey, bringing the Johnnies within one, 2-1, after three.

Hendry, who had stranded a pair of Fordham runners in scoring position in the top of the third, worked a scoreless fourth before striking out the side, all swinging, in the fifth. Hendry recorded another scoreless frame in the sixth, ending the inning with his 10^th punchout of the day with Fordham runners on second and third.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Red Storm took advantage of some suspect Fordham fielding to score three runs and take a 4-2 lead. Lazzaro led off the frame with a double before taking third on a failed pickoff and scoring on a Mitchell Henshaw sac bunt. Glancy then walked with the bases loaded before Carlos Hidalgo reached on an RBI fielder's choice to put the Johnnies ahead by a pair.

The Rams answered with three runs of their own in the eighth to reclaim a one-run lead. Nick Labella was hit by a pitch to start the frame before a Casey Brown single and a Will Findlay sac bunt gave the Rams runners on second and third with one out. Trey Maeker brought home the first run of the inning with an RBI groundout to the right side before Andy Semo doubled and Harnisch singled to make it a 5-4 ballgame in favor of the Rams.

After the Red Storm went down scoreless in the eighth, Fordham added another run in the top of the ninth to push its lead to a pair, 6-4.

Needing two runs to extend the game, Bartels delivered a two-run single with the bases loaded to knot the score at six a side. Pinch hitting for Henshaw, Wetterau drew a leadoff walk before a Glancy double to left center put runners on second and third. Nick Cirelli, also a pinch-hitter, walked to load the bases for Bartels. Following Bartels' clutch base knock, Justin Folz was ruled out on an infield fly to the third baseman before another walk, this time to Lazzaro, loaded the bases for Hogan, who went down on strikes to send the game into extras.

Fordham plated a run despite not registering a hit in the 10^th, as Ryan Thiesse drew a leadoff walk before advancing to second on a hit-by-pitch, stealing third and scoring on a squeeze bunt.

St. John's appeared to put a runner in scoring position in the home half of the 10^th, but Wetterau was thrown out trying to stretch a double into a triple with one out. Declan Lavelle, who registered the win for Fordham, got the other two batters swinging to seal the win.

The Red Storm will return to action on Tuesday, traveling to Army for a midweek contest with the Black Knights. First pitch from Doubleday Field is set for 3 p.m.