Fourth Inning Rally Powers St. John’s to 4-1 Victory Over Providence

Monday, April 19

Queens, N.Y. (Red Storm Field)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

9-13, 0

Providence

2-11, 0

Providence Friars

St. John's

Fourth Inning Rally Powers St. John’s to 4-1 Victory Over Providence

4/19/2021 3:04:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Two home runs, Erin Brown’s complete game lifts Red Storm

By: Kenny Conrade

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's softball team took down Providence, 4-1, on Monday afternoon in Queens to complete a staggered sweep of the three-game set between the two teams which began on March 27.

The Red Storm (9-13, 6-9 BIG EAST) used a three-run fourth inning rally along with a complete game from Erin Brown (4-6) to edge the Friars (2-11, 1-8 BIG EAST). The Johnnies offense in the fourth was aided by two home runs as Gretchen Bowie connected on a solo shot while Gabriella Conca delivered a two-run blast which proved to be the difference in the contest.

Brown was dominant in the circle all day for the Red Storm as the sophomore did not surrender a run until a seventh inning home run broke up her bid at a shutout. Nonetheless, the Thousand Oaks, Calif., native surrendered just five hits and induced 14 ground balls en route to her third complete game of the season. Two of Brown's complete games this season have come against Providence, as she previously shut out the Friars in game one of this series back on March 27.

Offensively, the Johnnies produced seven hits on the day including the two home run balls. Bowie went 2-3 on the afternoon, adding an RBI single in the fifth inning which plated the fourth Red Storm run. Kalei Sorensen was also 2-3 at the plate while Amelia Ditolvo, Marissa Rizzi and Conca added the other three hits for the Johnnies.

Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, as Friars' starter Sarah Gunderson (0-3) was working a perfect game the first time through the Red Storm batting order. Brown was up to the task as well for the home team, as she allowed just one single and one walk through the first three innings, retiring seven of the nine outs in that timeframe via the ground ball.

The Red Storm bats broke through against Gunderson in the fourth, however, as Bowie led off the frame with a home run to right-center field, her fourth of the season, to put her team up, 1-0. Two batters later, Rizzi doubled into right center before Conca stepped up and hit a homer to a nearly identical spot as Bowie's, giving the Johnnies the lead, 3-0, after four and chasing Gunderson from the game. Conca's home run was the Red Storm senior's second of the season with both coming against the Friars.

Brown would allow a single in the fifth but work out of trouble before the Johnnies got her some insurance in the bottom half of the inning. Kamryn Tiumalu walked with one out and pinch runner Meisha Murray stole second before Bowie hit a hard shot up the middle, plating Murray and extending the Red Storm lead, 4-0.

Brown worked a quick sixth and was looking for the shutout in the seventh before, with one out, Gianna Magrino hit a solo home run to put the Friars on the board, 4-1. The Red Storm pitcher surrendered a single to the following batter before a double play ball hit back to the circle fittingly ended the game, lifting the Red Storm to its sixth BIG EAST win of the season.

The Johnnies will be back in action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Stony Brook to battle the Seawolves at 3 p.m. The contest will be streamed via AmericaEast.TV. The Red Storm then returns home this weekend for a crucial three-game set against Villanova beginning on Saturday with a doubleheader.