St. John’s Drops Series Finale to Butler

Sunday, April 21

Queens, N.Y. (Kaiser Stadium)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

25-9-1, 0

Butler

15-24, 0

Butler

St. John's

4/21/2024 3:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Marty Higgins finishes weekend with 2-for-3 performance with two RBIs

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's baseball team fell to Butler, 8-4, in the series finale at Jack Kaiser Stadium on Sunday.

Marty Higgins produced another two-hit, two-RBI performance on Sunday. The Johnnies' first baseman slashed .545/.615/.636 with a team-best four RBIs in three games this weekend. Blake Mayberry and Anthony Brienza knocked in one run apiece in the matinee matchup.

Starter Mario Pesca logged nine pitches in a 1-2-3 top of the first inning with a strikeout to Kade Lewis to end the frame. The right-hander found himself in trouble with the bases loaded in the second inning, navigating his way through the Butler lineup with another punchout and a fielder's choice putout at third by Mayberry to conclude the stanza.

The Bulldogs (15-24, 2-7) broke through in the third frame with one run crossing on a Joey Urban groundout to short.

The Johnnies (25-9-1, 6-3) claimed the lead in the bottom of the third after back-to-back walks to Ben Beauchamp and Mayberry. Higgins ripped a two-run double to the alleyway in right-center, putting the Red Storm ahead, 2-1.

Butler retaliated in the top of the fourth with two runs of its own, capitalizing on a St. John's miscue and knocking in two on an ensuing single from Carter Dorighi, 3-2. The Bulldogs extended its lead to six over the next three innings, scoring two in the fifth, one in the sixth and two more in the seventh to secure an 8-2 edge.

The Red Storm bats put a two-spot on the board in the home half of the seventh inning. Garrett Scavelli singled before advancing to third on a pair of wild pitches. Following a walk to Paul Orbon, Brienza legged out an RBI single on a rip to the right side and brought the Johnnies within five, 8-3. Mayberry smacked a hot shot to third, knocking in a run on his groundout for an 8-4 deficit.

Relievers Ben Adams and Tim Cunningham stifled the Bulldogs' lineup in their combined 2.2 innings of work, holding the visiting team hitless with two strikeouts to give the Red Storm a chance late.

Butler brought on Brett Sherrard and Andrew Crumbley for the same 2.2 innings of work and produced an identical combined line as the Red Storm relievers to hold on for the four-run victory.

The Johnnies will start a four-game road trip on Tuesday, heading down to Rutgers for a midweek matchup. First pitch from Bainton Field is slated for 3 p.m.