St. John’s Falls to Villanova in Extra-Inning Thriller, 2-1

Sunday, April 16

Queens, N.Y. (Red Storm Field)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

15-23, 0

Villanova

25-18, 0

Villanova

St. John's

St. John’s Falls to Villanova in Extra-Inning Thriller, 2-1

4/16/2023 5:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Red Storm will return to action on Wednesdat at Fairfield

By: Andrew Loewe

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's softball team fell to Villanova in the series finale, 2-1 in eight innings, on Sunday afternoon at Red Storm Field.

The Red Storm (15-23 overall, 4-11 BIG EAST) had won their only previous extra-inning game, a 2-0 win at Stony Brook in nine innings. The Wildcats (25-18, 10-5) are now 4-0 in extra-inning games.

Peyton Cody was the only Johnnie to log a multi-hit game and Anese Thompson drove in the only Red Storm run.

After using all four pitchers in yesterday's contest, the Red Storm elected to start Hannah Mearns. The junior dealt seven innings and allowed two runs on six hits while striking out three.

Unlike yesterday's high scoring affair, both pitchers held the other team in check through three innings not allowing any runs and a combined four hits.

The Red Storm got on the board in the fourth inning to break the scoreless tie. Amy Mallah led off the frame with a walk followed by Cody with a single. Both advanced to scoring position on an error by the Villanova shortstop at the end of Cody's single. The next batter, Thompson, drove in Mallah on a sac fly to left to give the Johnnies the 1-0 lead. The Red Storm were unable to plate the remaining runners and ended the inning on a caught stealing play in an attempt to score Cody.

Leading 1-0, the Red Storm had an insurance run scoring chance in the bottom of the sixth. London Jarrard was hit by a pitch, then stole her 22^nd bag of the season. Mallah came to the plate next a belted a single giving Jarrard a chance to score. Jarrard was tagged out at the plate and Mallah advanced to second with one out. After Cody singled to put runners at the corners, the Wildcats went to their bullpen for Caroline Pelicano. On a passed ball, Mallah was deemed out at the plate but pinch-runner, Elanna Lysiak, was able to reach third with two outs. Pelicano caused the next Red Storm hitter to line out to end the inning and the Johnnies' scoring threat.

The Wildcats were down to their final out in the seventh inning, trailing 1-0. Dani Dombroski reached on a hit by pitch. Brooklyn Ostrowski knocked a single to left. An errant throw in the attempt to nab Dombroski at third allowed her to score and brought Ostrowski to third. Mearns battled to retire the next Wildcat to end the inning.

Pelicano retired the Red Storm side in the home half of the seventh to send the game to extra innings.

In the eighth, Loreley Francia relieved the starter Mearns. With two runners on, Ryan Henry doubled in a run to break the 1-1 tie. Pelicano closed the door on the Johnnies with a 1-2-3 eighth inning to secure the 2-1 Wildcats win and her third victory of the season.

St. John's will be back in action next week with a Wednesday matinee contest at Fairfield. The Johnnies will then host Georgetown in its last home BIG EAST series of the season.