St. John’s Edges California Baptist, 5-4

Thursday, February 29

Riverside, Calif. (John C. Funk Stadium)

6 p.m.

St. John's University

6-9

California Baptist

7-8

St Johns

California Baptist

2/29/2024 9:15:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Johnnies come back to win the first game of Lancers Invite

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The St. John's softball team (6-9) won the first game of the Lancers Invite, defeating California Baptist (7-8), 5-4, on Thursday afternoon at John C. Funk Stadium.

Shortstop London Jarrard tallied her first three-hit game of 2024. The Carlsbad, Calif. native crushed a two-run home run in the fifth inning to match the team lead.

Katie Whittaker drilled the go-ahead double in the top of the sixth inning to give the Red Storm a 5-4 lead that held till the end of the contest.

Starter Hannah Mearns garnered her second win of the season, scattering four runs across five innings of work with three strikeouts.

Loreley Francia came in clutch, tossing two blank innings of relief to earn her second save of the season. The sophomore notched two strikeouts in a 1-2-3 seventh inning to seal the victory.

After a scoreless opening frame, the Red Storm offense struck first in the top of the second. Anese Thompson and Amy Mallah led off the inning with a pair of singles to put two on with no outs. An out later, Sabrina Seaton advanced Thompson to third on a long fly out to right field. St. John's took the lead on a double-steal play led by Mallah stealing second that allowed Thompson to swipe home, 1-0.

The Lancers responded right back in the home half with Valerie Alvarez sending a one-out double off the left-field wall. After a pair of singles from Matti Severns and Malachy Russell-Millen, Alvarez touched home to knot the game, 1-1. A Merissa Brokowski infield single allowed CBU to take the 2-1 advantage before Kayla Lyon extended the lead with a two-run double, 4-1.

Sydney Totarsky opened the third with a single into left field. An out later, she was cut down at second on a fielder's choice. Cassidy Stouffer attempted to spark a two-out rally with a double to put runners on second and third. However, California Baptist's Presley Hosick battled back to record the final out, holding onto the three-run advantage.

St. John's starter Mearns settled back in during the bottom of the third, striking out her second batter of the afternoon to keep the score at 4-1.

After a blank fourth, Jess Bianco sparked a two-out rally with a high-chopping infield single to short in the top of the fifth. Jarrard then stepped into the box and delivered a two-run home run into left-center to cut the CBU lead to 4-3.

Mearns continued to find her groove in the bottom of the fifth. The senior tossed her third consecutive scoreless frame to keep the Lancers' advantage to just one into the sixth.

The Red Storm offense continued to deliver in the top of the sixth. Thompson led off with her second single of the contest and a batter later Elanna Lysiak drove a base hit into left to put two on with one out. After the second out of the inning, Whittaker crushed a go-ahead double off the left-field wall to give St. John's the 5-4 advantage.

Francia came in relief of Mearns in the bottom of the sixth. The Spring, Texas native came in clutch, delivering two blank frames of relief including a 1-2-3 seventh inning to seal the Johnnies victory, 5-4.

St. John's will be back in action tomorrow for a doubleheader against Cal Poly and California Baptist. First pitch with the Mustangs is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET followed by a 6 p.m. start with the Lancers.