St. John's University Athletics
Sunday, April 14
Storrs, Conn. (Elliot Ballpark)
1:05 p.m.
St. John's University
23-7-1, 0
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11
UConn
16-17, 0
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9
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St. John's
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12
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Connecticut
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St. John’s Falls in Ninth Inning at UConn
4/14/2024 5:38:00 PM | Baseball
Sophomore Jimmy Keenan falls triple shy of a cycle in Sunday’s contest
STORRS, Conn. – The St. John's baseball team (23-7-1, 4-2) fell in the ninth inning to UConn (16-17, 4-2), 11-8, at Elliot Ballpark on Sunday.
Jimmy Keenan went 3-for-5 at the dish, falling a triple shy of the cycle. The Red Storm catcher drove in two runs and scored three times in the series finale. Outfielder Jackson Tucker also went deep in the game with a two-run shot while Jayder Raifstanger launched his first collegiate home run.
For the third time in as many days, the Red Storm scored its first run in the second frame. Keenan belted a 1-2 offering from Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Stephen Quigley over the right-center field wall for a 1-0 edge.
Starter Mario Pesca worked himself into trouble in the home half of the second as UConn loaded the bases with one out. First baseman Marty Higgins reeled in a popup destined for the Red Storm dugout after leaning over the railing for the catch and the second out. St. John's got out of the inning unscathed with a lineout to Tucker in center.
The Red Storm added two more runs in the top of the third after singles from Ben Beauchamp and Keenan. Luke Orbon fought off Quigley with a 3-2 count and laced a two-run triple off the center-field wall, giving the Johnnies a 3-0 lead.
UConn knotted the game at three in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a two-run single from Paul Tammaro and Caleb Shpur scoring on a Red Storm miscue.
The Johnnies responded immediately, putting two on the board in the fifth. After a leadoff double by Beauchamp, Keenan slapped an RBI double down the right-field line for a 4-3 advantage. Two batters later, Higgins looped an RBI single behind the shortstop to claim a two-run edge, 5-3.
St. John's chipped in two more tallies in the sixth as Tucker ripped a two-run shot over the Rizza Performance Center in left field, putting the team ahead by four, 7-3.
UConn came back with a two-spot in the sixth and a three-run homer by Tammaro in the seventh to claim a one-run lead, 8-7.
Coming on as a pinch-hitter, Raifstanger delivered his first career home run in a massive spot in the eighth. After fighting off several pitches, the freshman third baseman smacked a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall for a solo shot to right and an 8-8 deadlock.
Tammaro walked off in the bottom of the ninth, delivering another three-run shot to lift UConn to its 11-8 win.
The Johnnies will return to Queens for a midweek matchup against Columbia on Tuesday. First pitch from Jack Kaiser Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Jimmy Keenan went 3-for-5 at the dish, falling a triple shy of the cycle. The Red Storm catcher drove in two runs and scored three times in the series finale. Outfielder Jackson Tucker also went deep in the game with a two-run shot while Jayder Raifstanger launched his first collegiate home run.
For the third time in as many days, the Red Storm scored its first run in the second frame. Keenan belted a 1-2 offering from Preseason BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year Stephen Quigley over the right-center field wall for a 1-0 edge.
Starter Mario Pesca worked himself into trouble in the home half of the second as UConn loaded the bases with one out. First baseman Marty Higgins reeled in a popup destined for the Red Storm dugout after leaning over the railing for the catch and the second out. St. John's got out of the inning unscathed with a lineout to Tucker in center.
The Red Storm added two more runs in the top of the third after singles from Ben Beauchamp and Keenan. Luke Orbon fought off Quigley with a 3-2 count and laced a two-run triple off the center-field wall, giving the Johnnies a 3-0 lead.
UConn knotted the game at three in the fourth inning, capitalizing on a two-run single from Paul Tammaro and Caleb Shpur scoring on a Red Storm miscue.
The Johnnies responded immediately, putting two on the board in the fifth. After a leadoff double by Beauchamp, Keenan slapped an RBI double down the right-field line for a 4-3 advantage. Two batters later, Higgins looped an RBI single behind the shortstop to claim a two-run edge, 5-3.
St. John's chipped in two more tallies in the sixth as Tucker ripped a two-run shot over the Rizza Performance Center in left field, putting the team ahead by four, 7-3.
UConn came back with a two-spot in the sixth and a three-run homer by Tammaro in the seventh to claim a one-run lead, 8-7.
Coming on as a pinch-hitter, Raifstanger delivered his first career home run in a massive spot in the eighth. After fighting off several pitches, the freshman third baseman smacked a 2-2 pitch over the right-field wall for a solo shot to right and an 8-8 deadlock.
Tammaro walked off in the bottom of the ninth, delivering another three-run shot to lift UConn to its 11-8 win.
The Johnnies will return to Queens for a midweek matchup against Columbia on Tuesday. First pitch from Jack Kaiser Stadium is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: AFTHIM (1-1)
L: Boyle, Jed (2-1)
Batting:
2B: Beauchamp, Ben 1 ; Keenan, Jimmy 1
3B: Orbon, Luke 1
HR: Tucker, Jackson 1 ; Keenan, Jimmy 1 ; Raifstanger, Jayder 1
RBI: Tucker, Jackson 2 ; Keenan, Jimmy 2 ; Orbon, Luke 2 ; Higgins, Marty 1 ; Raifstanger, Jayder 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tucker, Jackson 1 ; Beauchamp, Ben 2 ; Keenan, Jimmy 3 ; Jeremiah, Jace 1 ; Raifstanger, Jayder 1
CS: Beauchamp, Ben 1
Batting:
2B: STUDLEY 1 ; SHPUR 1
HR: TAMMARO 2
RBI: TAMMARO 9 ; GARBOWSKI 1
SH: STUDLEY 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SIMMONS 1 ; MALCOM 1 ; TAMMARO 2 ; DALENA 1 ; MINICK 1 ; STUDLEY 3 ; SHPUR 2
CS: BROADHURST 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
3
H
3
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
2
AB
5
R
1
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ BaseballOF
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