St. John’s Takes Series Opener, 2-1, from Xavier

Friday, April 9

Queens, N.Y. (Jack Kaiser Stadium)

3 p.m.

St. John's University

10-5, 1-0

Xavier

9-14, 0-1

Xavier

St. John's

4/9/2021 6:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Mondak earns win, Rodriguez and Routzahn no-hit Musketeers over final three frames

By: Andrew O'Connell

Starting pitcher Nick Mondak tossed six stellar innings before Joe Joe Rodriguez and Ethan Routzahn no-hit Xavier over the final three frames, leading St. John's to a 2-1 victory in its BIG EAST opener at Jack Kaiser Stadium on Friday afternoon.

Mondak improved to 3-1 on the season, striking out eight in a half-dozen innings of one-run work. The redshirt junior southpaw threw 120 pitches, 72 of which were strikes, and saw his ERA fall to 1.80 in five starts this spring.

Rodriguez, who relieved Mondak to start the seventh, struck out two in as many scoreless frames. The Vineland, N.J., native's ERA fell to an even 1.00 in his sixth appearance.

Routzahn registered his fourth save in as many opportunities this season, retiring all three batters he faced to shut the door in the ninth. Two of those outs came via the K, as Routzahn logged his seventh appearance without allowing a run.

Marty Higgins and David Williams drove in runs for St. John's (10-5, 1-0 BIG EAST). Higgins smacked an RBI single up the middle in the third before Williams worked a run-scoring walk in the sixth.

Ryan Hogan went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored while Vincent Bianchi singled and scored the Red Storm's other run. Carson Bartels reached base in all three of his plate appearances, as he drew a pair of walks and was hit by a pitch.

After both sides went down in order in the first, Xavier (9-14, 0-1 BIG EAST) opened the scoring in the top of the second. Andrew Walker laced a one-out double to left center before stealing third and coming home on a grounder to third, giving the Musketeers an early 1-0 edge.

St. John's answered in the home half of the frame, as Bianchi reached on a throwing error by the shortstop and advanced to second on a Bartels walk before Higgins ripped an RBI single up the middle to knot the contest at one.

Xavier put at least one runner on base in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but Mondak managed to exit the frame unharmed on each occasion.

Entering the inning having thrown 103 pitches already on the afternoon, Mondak worked a little bit of magic to get out of the sixth unscathed. After giving up back-to-back singles to lead off the frame, Mondak forced a 5-4-3 double play and fly ball to right, stranding a runner at third and preserving the 1-1 tie.

Riding the momentum from Mondak's escape act in the top of the inning, St. John's scored the decisive run in the home half of the sixth. Hogan led off with a ground-rule double to left center before the next two batters went down in order. Bianchi then singled to the hole between short and third to give the Red Storm runners on the corners before Bartels drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Williams then worked a six-pitch walk, scoring Hogan and giving the Johnnies a 2-1 lead that they would not relinquish.

The Red Storm and the Musketeers will resume their series tomorrow afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. on ESPN3 and the ESPN app.