St. John’s Drops First Game of Series to Villanova, 8-3

Friday, April 14

Queens, N.Y. (Red Storm Field)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

15-21, 0

Villanova

23-18, 0

Villanova

St. John's

St. John’s Drops First Game of Series to Villanova, 8-3

4/14/2023 4:34:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Jess Bianco went 3-for-3 and swiped two bases

By: Andrew Loewe

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's softball team fell to Villanova, 8-3, in the first of the three game-series on Friday afternoon at Red Storm Field.

Despite Jess Bianco's 3-for-3 performance, the Red Storm dropped to 15-21 overall and 4-9 in BIG EAST play. The Wildcats improved to 23-18, 8-5.

Bianco also scored twice and stole her 22^nd and 23^rd bags of the season to take the outright team lead.

Anese Thompson extended her on-base streak to 14 games while reaching twice on two hits including a RBI-double.

After starting pitcher, Hannah Mearns, shut down the Wildcats with a 1-2-3 inning, the Red Storm jumped out to an early 1-0 lead. Bianco reached on a single to left and then stole her 22^nd bag of the season. With two outs, Thompson belted a double to the left field fence to plate Bianco and give the Johnnies a 1-0 lead.

Mearns started off the game retiring the first nine Wildcats and carried a perfect game into the fourth inning. In the fourth, the top of the Villanova's lineup faced Mearns for the second time and recorded back-to-back hits to land runners at the corners with no outs to start the frame. The cleanup hitter, Victoria Sebastian, plated the pair on a RBI-double to give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead. Later in the stanza, Ryan Henry extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-out.

The Wildcats tacked on an insurance run in the sixth inning to push the difference to 5-1.

The Red Storm responded in the bottom half of the sixth, cutting the deficit in half on four hits. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases with one out and Peyton Cody at the dish. Cody drove the first pitch she saw to center for a sac fly that scored Bianco. The next batter, Amy Mallah, laced a single to score Sydney Totarsky from second and end Villanova's starter, Kat Gallant's, day in the circle. Caroline Pelicano entered the circle and retired the next Johnnie to neutralize the Red Storm scoring threat.

Villanova added three runs on four hits in the top of the seventh to take an 8-3 lead into the home half of the final inning.

Pelicano extinguished any Red Storm comeback attempt in the final inning setting the Johnnies down in order to secure the 8-3 victory and record her fourth save of the season.

The series will continue tomorrow with a noon start at Red Storm Field. Fans in attendance will St. John's receive fanny packs and scrunchies, and Boardroom x St. John's tote bag. Kids are able to pick up fidget spinners or a St. John's picture frame and crayons on this day full of activities.