St. John's University Athletics
Sunday, April 7
Plymouth Meeting, Pa. (Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth)
12 p.m.
St. John's University
22-5-1, 0
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Villanova
7-21, 0
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Villanova
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St. John’s Outlasts Villanova, 3-1, in 13 Innings
4/7/2024 5:12:00 PM | Baseball
The Red Storm jumps out to 3-0 in conference play for the first time since 2018
PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. – Senior Jackson Tucker delivered an eventual game-winning RBI single in the 13th inning to lift the St. John's baseball team (22-5-1, 3-0) to a 3-1 victory over Villanova (7-21, 0-6) Sunday afternoon.
After both teams battled through 12 scoreless innings, Jayder Raifstanger drew a leadoff walk to open the 13th frame. Following a walk to Anthony Brienza, the Johnnies' center fielder roped an RBI single up the middle, bringing two runs around for a 2-0 lead. Tucker eventually scored on a wild pitch to take a 3-0 edge.
The Red Storm is off to its best conference start since 2018 with its 3-0 record. It also marked the longest extra-inning win in a league contest since taking down Xavier, 9-8, in 14 frames on April 13, 2019.
St. John's struck out 17 Wildcats in the contest, the most in a game since posting 18 against Campbell on Feb. 17, 2018. Jed Boyle struck out a career-high seven batters in his 2.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. The righty also surrendered just one hit in his outing.
Both teams were held off the board through the first three innings as St. John's starter Mario Pesca and Villanova's Liam McCollough engaged in a pitcher's duel. After Pesca worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the opening frame, the right-hander settled in and retired seven of the next eight batters he faced.
The Bronx native found himself in trouble with the bases loaded again in the fourth. Working ahead on AJ Hansen, Pesca forced the Wildcats' outfielder to swing through a breaking ball for strike three, getting out of the jam and keeping the game scoreless through four innings.
The Johnnies' offense started to pester McCollough in the sixth as Tucker drew a leadoff walk and swiped second. Ben Beauchamp moved his outfield counterpart over to third in the ensuing at-bat with a tapper to the right side, chasing the Wildcats' hurler with one out in the frame. Luke Orbon and Paul Orbon walked to load the bases, but Villanova halted the Red Storm's threat.
Louis Marinaro came on in relief of Pesca in the home half of the sixth with runners on first and second. The southpaw struck out Cameron Hassert immediately and forced Hansen to ground out to third to end the Wildcats' scoring opportunity. Marinaro tossed a 1-2-3 frame in the seventh, retiring Scott Shaw on strikes to end the stanza.
The Red Storm put at least two runners on base for the third straight inning. Paul Orbon reached on a walk ahead of a single from Aries Samek to put runners on first and second with one out. The Wildcats managed to hold off the Red Storm once again to keep the game scoreless.
Sam Mettert came on in the eighth and delivered a 1-2-3 frame. Villanova nearly capitalized in the ninth on a Red Storm miscue, putting runners on first and third with two outs. With the winning run just 90 feet away, the Indianapolis, Ind., native blew a 3-2 fastball past Scott Shaw for the final out, forcing extras on the fourth strikeout of his outing.
Villanova continued to pose a threat in the 10th, loading the bases with two outs. Jed Boyle came on with the bases juiced and fired a heater across the numbers to down Hansen on strikes, extending the game.
The Syracuse, N.Y., native stepped back on the rubber in the 11th and 12th innings and did it again to end the frame, staving off the Wildcats' threats with a punchout, including his crucial seventh strikeout of the day with the bases filled in the 12th frame.
After the Johnnies scored three in the 13th inning, AJ Lausten came on and secured his first collegiate save, ending the four-hour, 51-minute affair.
The Johnnies will remain on the road for another BIG EAST showdown, heading up to UConn for a three-game series beginning on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Elliott Ballpark
After both teams battled through 12 scoreless innings, Jayder Raifstanger drew a leadoff walk to open the 13th frame. Following a walk to Anthony Brienza, the Johnnies' center fielder roped an RBI single up the middle, bringing two runs around for a 2-0 lead. Tucker eventually scored on a wild pitch to take a 3-0 edge.
The Red Storm is off to its best conference start since 2018 with its 3-0 record. It also marked the longest extra-inning win in a league contest since taking down Xavier, 9-8, in 14 frames on April 13, 2019.
St. John's struck out 17 Wildcats in the contest, the most in a game since posting 18 against Campbell on Feb. 17, 2018. Jed Boyle struck out a career-high seven batters in his 2.1 innings of work out of the bullpen. The righty also surrendered just one hit in his outing.
Both teams were held off the board through the first three innings as St. John's starter Mario Pesca and Villanova's Liam McCollough engaged in a pitcher's duel. After Pesca worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the opening frame, the right-hander settled in and retired seven of the next eight batters he faced.
The Bronx native found himself in trouble with the bases loaded again in the fourth. Working ahead on AJ Hansen, Pesca forced the Wildcats' outfielder to swing through a breaking ball for strike three, getting out of the jam and keeping the game scoreless through four innings.
The Johnnies' offense started to pester McCollough in the sixth as Tucker drew a leadoff walk and swiped second. Ben Beauchamp moved his outfield counterpart over to third in the ensuing at-bat with a tapper to the right side, chasing the Wildcats' hurler with one out in the frame. Luke Orbon and Paul Orbon walked to load the bases, but Villanova halted the Red Storm's threat.
Louis Marinaro came on in relief of Pesca in the home half of the sixth with runners on first and second. The southpaw struck out Cameron Hassert immediately and forced Hansen to ground out to third to end the Wildcats' scoring opportunity. Marinaro tossed a 1-2-3 frame in the seventh, retiring Scott Shaw on strikes to end the stanza.
The Red Storm put at least two runners on base for the third straight inning. Paul Orbon reached on a walk ahead of a single from Aries Samek to put runners on first and second with one out. The Wildcats managed to hold off the Red Storm once again to keep the game scoreless.
Sam Mettert came on in the eighth and delivered a 1-2-3 frame. Villanova nearly capitalized in the ninth on a Red Storm miscue, putting runners on first and third with two outs. With the winning run just 90 feet away, the Indianapolis, Ind., native blew a 3-2 fastball past Scott Shaw for the final out, forcing extras on the fourth strikeout of his outing.
Villanova continued to pose a threat in the 10th, loading the bases with two outs. Jed Boyle came on with the bases juiced and fired a heater across the numbers to down Hansen on strikes, extending the game.
The Syracuse, N.Y., native stepped back on the rubber in the 11th and 12th innings and did it again to end the frame, staving off the Wildcats' threats with a punchout, including his crucial seventh strikeout of the day with the bases filled in the 12th frame.
After the Johnnies scored three in the 13th inning, AJ Lausten came on and secured his first collegiate save, ending the four-hour, 51-minute affair.
The Johnnies will remain on the road for another BIG EAST showdown, heading up to UConn for a three-game series beginning on Friday. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at Elliott Ballpark
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Boyle, Jed (2-0)
L: FUREY, C (0-1)
S: Lausten, AJ (1)
Batting:
2B: Orbon, Paul 1
RBI: Tucker, Jackson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tucker, Jackson 1 ; Raifstanger, Jayder 1 ; Brienza, Anthony 1
SB: Tucker, Jackson 2
CS: Orbon, Luke 1
HBP: Orbon, Paul 1
Batting:
2B: SHAW, S. 2
RBI: WHOOLEY, M. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: SHAW, S. 1
SB: HASSERT, C. 1
CS: HANSEN, A. 1
HBP: WHOOLEY, M. 1 ; TOOLE, T 2 ; HASSERT, C. 1 ; HANSEN, A. 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
7
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
AB
6
R
1
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF/OF
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
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