St. John’s Ends CSU Blue / Gold Classic Defeating UMass Lowell, 8-1

Sunday, February 18

Charleston, S.C. (CSU Softball Complex)

10 a.m.

St. John's University

4-6

UMass Lowell

1-8

UMASS Lowell

St. Johns

St. John’s Ends CSU Blue / Gold Classic Defeating UMass Lowell, 8-1

2/18/2024 1:06:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Red Storm down the River Hawks to end the tournament with a 4-1 record

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The St. John's softball team (4-6) defeated UMass Lowell (1-8) in the final game of CSU Blue / Classic on Sunday morning.

Loreley Francia recorded her second win of the tournament in complete-game fashion. The sophomore allowed one run on five hits and struck out nine across the full seven innings.

Shortstop London Jarrard finished the morning 2-for-3 with a walk and tallied her sixth RBI of the season.

Anese Thompson mashed a solo home run and plated another run to increase her team-leading RBI total to eight. The home run marked the Ventura, Calif. native's second consecutive day with a long ball.

In the top of the first, UMass Lowell's Lea White hit an infield single and stole second to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. Catcher Morgan Fisher singled into left field to bring White home and give the River Hawks the 1-0 lead.

St. John's responded quickly with Jess Bianco drawing a walk and stealing her seventh bag of the tournament. Jarrard hit a bloop single into right field and advanced to second to put runners on second and third with no outs. A batter later, Thompson evened the score, 1-1, by grounding out to second and plating Bianco. Catcher Celia Macari extended the inning with a walk followed by a passed ball to put runners on second and third once again. Sophomore Cassidy Stouffer delivered with two outs, slicing a two-RBI single into right field to give the Johnnies an early two-run advantage.

Francia struck out the side to find her groove in the top of the second and hold the score in St. John's favor, 3-1.

The theme of producing with two outs continued into the second inning for the Red Storm offense. Jarrard sparked a rally with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. Third baseman Melanie Santos dropped a single over shortstop to drive Jarrard home and extend the lead to 4-1.

After a scoreless third, Francia continued to make herself at home inside of the circle, sitting the River Hawks down in order and racking up six strikeouts through four.

UMass Lowell's Ryley White settled in after a shaky start retiring the Johnnies 1-2-3 in the home half of the fourth.

The score remained 4-1 until the bottom of the fifth when St. John's added yet another two-out run. Thompson drilled a solo home run to left field for the second consecutive day to give the Red Storm a four-run cushion.

After the River Hawks went down in order in the top of the sixth, the Johnnies loaded the bases as Sydney Totarsky singled, Natalie Casto reached on a fielder's choice and Bianco bunted for a single. The following two batters, Jarrard and Santos, were walked and hit by pitch respectively to bring home two. The third run was brought home on a Thompson fielder's choice to give the Red Storm the 8-1 advantage.

Francia finished her gem of a game in the top of the seventh retiring UMass Lowell and adding her ninth strikeout to secure the 8-1 St. John's victory.

St. John's softball will be back in action next Sunday against Northern Colorado in California. The matchup will mark the first of nine games the Red Storm will play in The Golden State.