St. John’s Sweeps Doubleheader from Seton Hall on Sunday

Sunday, May 8

South Orange, N.J. (Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

18-27-1, 5-8-1

Seton Hall

15-31, 4-9

St. John's

Seton Hall

St. John’s Sweeps Doubleheader from Seton Hall on Sunday

5/8/2022 6:52:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Game 1 Box Score (PDF)Game 2 Box Score (PDF)

Brandon Backman pitched a complete game shutout to secure the series victory

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J.- After inclement weather postponed the first two games of the series, the St. John's baseball team swept a doubleheader from the Seton Hall Pirates at Mike Sheppard Sr., Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Game One

Behind an explosive fifth inning, St. John's defeated Seton Hall, 8-6, in the opening game of Sunday's doubleheader at Mike Sheppard Sr., Stadium.

David Glancy hit his 10^th home run of the season, a game-tying solo blast in the fifth, and finished game one with two hits in three at-bats.

Jackson Tucker notched his second consecutive multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with a triple, an RBI and two runs scored.

Paul Orbon tallied two RBIs in his 13^th start of the season and went 1-for-2 with two runs scored.

Three other Red Storm hitters, Tate Ballestero, Kevin Michaels and Chris Conniff notched an RBI on Sunday afternoon.

On the mound, Tim Cunningham picked up his second win of the season for St. John's (18-27-1, 4-8-1). Chuck Sanzio picked up his seventh save of the season in the series-opening victory.

The Johnnies opened the scoring right away in the top of the first, pushing one run across to lead, 1-0. Tucker drew a walk to lead off the frame before advancing to third on a Ballestero single up the middle. An RBI groundout by Michaels sent Tucker home to give the Red Storm its first lead of the afternoon.

After a scoreless second inning, St. John's tacked on another run in the visitor half of the third to double its advantage, 2-0. Tucker was the scoring catalyst once again as the freshman outfielder led off the inning with a triple to the gap in right center to immediately create a scoring chance for the Red Storm. Ballestero took advantage of the opportunity with the Johnnies' second RBI groundout of the contest.

Tucker's second hit of the day, a two-out RBI single, gave the Johnnies a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth.

The Pirates' bats woke up in the bottom of the fourth, scoring four runs to jump in front, 4-3. Alex Clyde got the rally started with an RBI single to center that also advanced a runner to third. That lead runner successfully got around a tag attempt by Colin Wetterau on a bunt to the pitcher to get Seton Hall within two, 4-2. A bases-loaded walk and a sac fly later in the frame gave the home side its first lead of the afternoon.

The Red Storm responded with authority in the top of the fifth, plating five runs on four hits to surge back in front, 8-4. Glancy led off the frame with a solo laser to left center to knot the game at four. Ballestero reached first courtesy of a dropped third strike before advancing to third on a single by Nick Cirelli. Ballestero scampered home from third on a fielding error by the first baseman to vault the Johnnies in front, 5-4. With runners on first and second, Orbon roped a two-base hit down the line in left to score two and give St. John's a three-run edge. Conniff capped off the frame with an RBI single to left to double up the Pirates, 8-4.

Seton Hall rallied in the top of the seventh as the three consecutive batters reached to start the frame to force Sanzio to enter with the bases loaded and nobody out. A wild pitch and a sacrifice fly tightened things up, 8-6. Sanzio was able to settle in and retire the next two batters to pick up the save and secure the win for St. John's.

Game Two

Dominant pitching led the way for the second Red Storm win of the day as it defeated the Pirates, 6-0.

Brandon Backman kept Seton Hall batters off balance all afternoon and pitched a two-hit shutout on 97 pitches. The masterful performance by Backman was the first complete-game effort by a St. John's hurler this season and the first such outing since Joe LaSorsa's winning outing against Kansas on March 16, 2019. Backman's shutout is the first since Sean Mooney blanked Maine on March 25, 2017. The graduate righthander only allowed four batters to reach base and chipped in three punchouts in his second win of the season for St. John's (19-27-1, 5-8-1).

At the plate, Tucker and Michaels each hit a home run, a solo and a two-run homer, respectively. Michaels went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Ballestero continued to swing a hot bat, going 4-for-4 with two doubles and two runs scored. Orbon tallied his second triple of the year and his third RBI of the afternoon while Wetterau accounted for the other RBI in the dominant win.

After two scoreless frames to open the second game of the doubleheader, the Johnnies struck first in the top of the third, scoring two runs to lead, 2-0. Tucker ripped a 2-0 pitch off the batter's eye in center for his second home run of 2022. The middle of the order combined for some two-out magic for the second tally of the ballgame as the Ballestero singled through the left side before Michaels lined a ball over the head of the right fielder for an RBI double and a two-run advantage for the visiting side.

Both starters held firm in the fourth and fifth before St. John's doubled its lead to 4-0 in top of the sixth. Cirelli worked a six-pitch walk before Orbon ripped a triple to left to make it 3-0. Wetterau lifted a fly ball to center that was plenty deep enough to score Orbon and expand the lead even further.

The Johnnies struck for two more in the top of the seventh to widen the gap, 6-0. Ballestero doubled to right field before Michaels launched a two-run shot to center for his second and third RBIs of the contest.

The six-run cushion was more than enough for Backman as the graduate righthander retired the final nine batters in a row to secure the sweep of the doubleheader from Seton Hall.

The Johnnies will be back in action on Wednesday as they return home to face Iona for the second time in two weeks. First pitch from Jack Kaiser Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.