St. John’s Cruises to 10th Straight Win in 13-1 Victory over Rider

Sunday, March 17

Queens, N.Y. (Kaiser Stadium)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

13-4

Rider

2-13

Rider

St. John's

St. John’s Cruises to 10th Straight Win in 13-1 Victory over Rider

3/17/2024 5:11:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Orbon brothers tally three runs apiece while Garrett Scavelli logs season-best four RBIs

QUEENS, N.Y. – Left fielder Garrett Scavelli knocked in four runs to help the St. John's baseball team (13-4) pick up its 10^th straight win with a 13-1 victory over Rider (2-13) on Sunday afternoon. It marks the team's first double-digit winning streak since winning 12 consecutive games in 2018.

The Franklin Square, N.Y., product put forth his best outing of the season, going 3-for-4 at the dish with his four RBIs. Scavelli also tapped home plate once in the contest.

Shortstop Luke Orbon fell a home run shy of the cycle, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored. Older brother Paul Orbon also crossed home plate on three occasions, while driving in a run and drawing two walks. Corner infielders Max Aude and Blake Mayberry chipped in two tallies apiece.

Ben Beauchamp and Jimmy Keenan went deep in the contest. Beauchamp launched a solo shot for the second straight game while Keenan logged his third in the last five contests. The duo has combined to go 18-for-40 (.450) at the dish with six doubles, five homers, 18 runs scored and 20 RBIs over the last five games.

After Rider took an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first, St. John's retaliated immediately. Beauchamp ripped a 429-foot missile into the batter's eye in center for his second home run in as many days, deadlocking the game at one following the first frame.

It was all St. John's from that point on, playing small ball in the second to knock in three more runs. The Orbon brothers scored back-to-back on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly before Brienza brought Aude around to score on an RBI groundout to take a 4-1 lead.

The Johnnies continued to capitalize on Rider miscues in the third, putting a four-spot on the board. Mayberry scored on a wild pitch before a two-run single from Scavelli brought both Orbons around to score for a 7-1 lead. Tucker drove in the final tally of the frame on a sacrifice fly to left for a seven-run advantage.

The Red Storm put three more on the board in the fourth after a leadoff single from Mayberry. Keenan ripped the first pitch he saw to center field, taking a two-run shot for a 431-foot ride and giving St. John's a 10-1 lead. After Luke Orbon tripled to left field on a 3-1 pitch, the Johnnies' shortstop scored on an RBI groundout from his brother, Paul, to capture a double-digit lead.

Starter Mario Pesca settled in after some early threats. The sophomore righty faced the minimum in his final frame, inducing a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth. Pesca allowed just one unearned run on three hits with one strikeout.

The Johnnies added one in the sixth and another in the eighth on a sacrifice fly from Brienza and an RBI groundout by Scavelli, respectively, to take a 13-1 lead.

Relievers AJ Lausten, Chuck Sanzio, Tim Cunningham and Jed Boyle combined to allow just two hits over the final four innings to secure the team's second consecutive series sweep.

St. John's continues its homestand with a pair of midweek matchups this week, starting on Tuesday against Manhattan. First pitch from Queens is slated for 3 p.m.