St. John’s Drops to Sam Houston, 12-8

Saturday, March 2

Huntsville, Texas (Don Sanders Stadium)

4 p.m.

St. John's University

3-4

Sam Houston

8-3

St. John's

Sam Houston

3/2/2024 8:02:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Red Storm nearly erases nine-run deficit with five tallies in final two innings

HUNTSVILLE, Texas – The St. John's baseball team (3-4) nearly erased a nine-run deficit with five tallies in the final two innings before dropping game two of its series at Sam Houston, 12-8, on Saturday inside Don Sanders Stadium.

Seven of the team's nine starters registered a hit on the afternoon. Freshmen Adam Agresti and Cristian Bernardini both launched their first collegiate home runs. Agresti, as well as Jackson Tucker, logged two hits apiece. Jayder Raifstanger also logged the first run of his collegiate career.

Sam Houston (8-3) broke through with one run in the first inning on an RBI double by Jake Tatom. Despite allowing the tally, Red Storm starter Louis Marinaro struck out three batters in the opening frame.

The Bearkats threatened in the second inning, loading the bases with two outs on three walks, however, Marinaro induced a popup behind first base for the final out of the stanza.

In the bottom of the third, Sam Houston pulled away with a five-run frame, seeing a three-run homer by Jeffrey David and a two-run home run from Blake Brown give the Bearkats a 6-0 lead.

The Red Storm cut Sam Houston's lead in half with a three-run top of the fifth. Paul Orbon, Agresti and Jace Jeremiah registered consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. Anthony Brienza laced the first pitch he saw into right field, bringing Orbon in from third and pulling the Johnnies to within five, 6-1. After Tucker brought Agresti across on a fielder's choice, Scavelli legged out an infield single to the left side, knocking in Jeremiah for the third run of the frame, 6-3.

The Bearkats retaliated with four runs in the fifth and two more in the sixth to bump its lead to nine, 12-3.

Chad Falcon made his pitching debut for the Red Storm and came on with two outs in the sixth. The Stony Point, N.Y., native tossed 2.1 scoreless innings in relief, logging three strikeouts and surrendering one hit and two walks in his first appearance out of the pen.

The Johnnies did not go away quietly as they put two runs on the board in the eighth and a three-spot in the final stanza. Raifstanger worked a one-out walk in the top of the eighth before Bernardini launched a 442-foot rocket over the right-center field wall to pull the Red Storm within seven, 12-5.

In the ninth, Agresti launched a 466-foot solo shot over the batter's eye in center field to cut the deficit in half. St. John's continued to find ways on base as pinch hitter Marty Higgins smacked a double to right-center, followed by a Bearkats' miscue allowing Brienza to reach safely. Tucker slapped a single up the middle to bring Higgins in and put runners on the corners. After a Scavelli walk to load the bases, Max Aude brought Brienza in for the Red Storm's final run of the game.

The Red Storm will return to Don Sanders Stadium for the series finale against Sam Houston on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.