St. John's University Athletics
Wednesday, May 22
Mason, Ohio (Prasco Field)
St. John's University
35-16-1
11
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9
No. 3 Georgetown
34-20
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Georgetown
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St. John's
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11
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Jimmy Keenan’s Walk-Off Two-Run Homer Lifts St. John’s to 11-9 Win Over Georgetown
5/22/2024 7:42:00 PM | Baseball
The sophomore catcher is first player to hit a walk-off homer in the BIG EAST Tournament since conference realignment in 2013
MASON, Ohio – St. John's sophomore catcher Jimmy Keenan unloaded a two-run walk-off homer to stun third-seeded Georgetown (34-20) as the Red Storm (35-16-1) earned an 11-9 victory in the opening round of the 2024 BIG EAST Baseball Championship at Prasco Park on Wednesday.
The Johnnies secured their first BIG EAST Tournament win since taking down Xavier, 2-0, in the opening game of the 2019 tournament. The win also marks the first postseason victory under the direction of Head Coach Mike Hampton.
After both teams were deadlocked at four through six innings of play, the two teams combined for 12 runs over the final three innings and saw the lead change four times with one tie.
Left fielder Garrett Scavelli drew a walk on Georgetown closer Nick Davis to open the ninth frame. Two batters later, Keenan battled at the dish against an erratic Davis and drew a 3-1 count. The Johnnies' plate protector used all 6-foot-3 of his frame to send a scorching two-run homer over the right-center wall to take down the Hoyas.
The White Plains, N.Y., native became the first player since the conference's realignment in 2013 to smack a game-ending home run in the postseason slate. Keenan finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. The sophomore is also the second Johnnie this season to mash a walk-off homer, joining teammate Ben Beauchamp, who smacked a solo shot in a 3-2 victory over Creighton on May 4.
Beauchamp also went deep in the Johnnies opening-round victory, smacking a three-run shot en route to a 1-for-2 day at the dish with two tallies. Shortstop Luke Orbon also produced a steady performance against the Hoyas, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
Much like their first matchup less than a week ago, St. John's Xavier Kolhosser and Gerogetown's Cody Bowker battled through the early going, keeping the scoreboard blank through two innings.
The Hoyas broke through with one run in the top of the third and threatened with the bases loaded. Center fielder Jackson Tucker saved the Red Storm from allowing further damage, scaling the wall and pulling in the final out of the frame to end Georgetown's threat.
The momentum switched in favor of the Johnnies in the home half of the third. Anthony Brienza started the frame with a single, followed by a four-pitch walk to Tucker to put runners on first and second. Garrett Scavelli dropped down a bunt that laid on the first-base line to move both runners up 90 feet. Third baseman Blake Mayberry laced a 1-2 pitch past the outstretched glove of the second baseman, knocking in both runners and taking a 2-1 edge.
The Red Storm continued to rattle the Hoyas with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. After a one-out walk to Ben Beauchamp, who also swiped second, Orbon belted a two-run shot to left-center to give the Johnnies a 4-1 advantage.
Georgetown quickly responded in the top of the fifth, seeing Kavi Caster knot the game at four with a three-run shot.
Both teams were held off the board in the sixth before St. John's pushed two tallies across in the seventh. Orbon opened the frame with a single before moving to second on a Brienza sacrifice bunt. Tucker delivered on the first offering from Marshall Whitmer, sending an RBI triple off the left-field wall and lifting the Red Storm to a 5-4 lead. The Johnnies added one more on a sacrifice fly from Scavelli to go up two, 6-4.
The tides quickly turned in favor of the Hoyas as Caster hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth to reclaim an 8-6 advantage.
St. John's did not back down, unloading three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Keenan reached on an error to open the frame before Marty Higgins drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Two batters later, Beauchamp crushed a three-run shot to left-center to claim a one-run edge, 9-8.
Georgetown knotted the game at nine in the final stanza, seeing Joe Hollerbach single to left and bringing Michael Eze around to score.
Keenan went on to end the game in the bottom of the ninth with a towering two-run shot to right-center, advancing the Johnnies to the winner's bracket with an 11-9 win.
The Red Storm awaits the winner of game two between top-seeded UConn and fourth-seeded Xavier. The Johnnies will play in the nightcap on Thursday with first pitch slated for approximately 6:30 p.m.
The Johnnies secured their first BIG EAST Tournament win since taking down Xavier, 2-0, in the opening game of the 2019 tournament. The win also marks the first postseason victory under the direction of Head Coach Mike Hampton.
After both teams were deadlocked at four through six innings of play, the two teams combined for 12 runs over the final three innings and saw the lead change four times with one tie.
Left fielder Garrett Scavelli drew a walk on Georgetown closer Nick Davis to open the ninth frame. Two batters later, Keenan battled at the dish against an erratic Davis and drew a 3-1 count. The Johnnies' plate protector used all 6-foot-3 of his frame to send a scorching two-run homer over the right-center wall to take down the Hoyas.
The White Plains, N.Y., native became the first player since the conference's realignment in 2013 to smack a game-ending home run in the postseason slate. Keenan finished the afternoon 2-for-5 with two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. The sophomore is also the second Johnnie this season to mash a walk-off homer, joining teammate Ben Beauchamp, who smacked a solo shot in a 3-2 victory over Creighton on May 4.
Beauchamp also went deep in the Johnnies opening-round victory, smacking a three-run shot en route to a 1-for-2 day at the dish with two tallies. Shortstop Luke Orbon also produced a steady performance against the Hoyas, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored.
Much like their first matchup less than a week ago, St. John's Xavier Kolhosser and Gerogetown's Cody Bowker battled through the early going, keeping the scoreboard blank through two innings.
The Hoyas broke through with one run in the top of the third and threatened with the bases loaded. Center fielder Jackson Tucker saved the Red Storm from allowing further damage, scaling the wall and pulling in the final out of the frame to end Georgetown's threat.
The momentum switched in favor of the Johnnies in the home half of the third. Anthony Brienza started the frame with a single, followed by a four-pitch walk to Tucker to put runners on first and second. Garrett Scavelli dropped down a bunt that laid on the first-base line to move both runners up 90 feet. Third baseman Blake Mayberry laced a 1-2 pitch past the outstretched glove of the second baseman, knocking in both runners and taking a 2-1 edge.
The Red Storm continued to rattle the Hoyas with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth. After a one-out walk to Ben Beauchamp, who also swiped second, Orbon belted a two-run shot to left-center to give the Johnnies a 4-1 advantage.
Georgetown quickly responded in the top of the fifth, seeing Kavi Caster knot the game at four with a three-run shot.
Both teams were held off the board in the sixth before St. John's pushed two tallies across in the seventh. Orbon opened the frame with a single before moving to second on a Brienza sacrifice bunt. Tucker delivered on the first offering from Marshall Whitmer, sending an RBI triple off the left-field wall and lifting the Red Storm to a 5-4 lead. The Johnnies added one more on a sacrifice fly from Scavelli to go up two, 6-4.
The tides quickly turned in favor of the Hoyas as Caster hit a grand slam in the top of the eighth to reclaim an 8-6 advantage.
St. John's did not back down, unloading three more runs in the bottom of the eighth. Keenan reached on an error to open the frame before Marty Higgins drew a four-pitch walk to put runners on first and second with no outs. Two batters later, Beauchamp crushed a three-run shot to left-center to claim a one-run edge, 9-8.
Georgetown knotted the game at nine in the final stanza, seeing Joe Hollerbach single to left and bringing Michael Eze around to score.
Keenan went on to end the game in the bottom of the ninth with a towering two-run shot to right-center, advancing the Johnnies to the winner's bracket with an 11-9 win.
The Red Storm awaits the winner of game two between top-seeded UConn and fourth-seeded Xavier. The Johnnies will play in the nightcap on Thursday with first pitch slated for approximately 6:30 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adams, Ben (2-1)
L: Nick Davis (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Andrew Bergeron 1
HR: Kavi Caster 2
RBI: Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Christian Ficca 1 ; Kavi Caster 7
SH: Marco Castillo 1
SF: Christian Ficca 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Owen Carapellotti 1 ; Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Christian Ficca 1 ; Jake Hyde 2 ; Kavi Caster 2 ; Michael Eze 2
SB: Michael Eze 1
HBP: Joe Hollerbach 1 ; Jake Hyde 1
Batting:
3B: Tucker, Jackson 1
HR: Keenan, Jimmy 1 ; Beauchamp, Ben 1 ; Orbon, Luke 1
RBI: Tucker, Jackson 1 ; Scavelli, Garrett 1 ; Mayberry, Blake 2 ; Keenan, Jimmy 2 ; Beauchamp, Ben 3 ; Orbon, Luke 2
SH: Scavelli, Garrett 1 ; Brienza, Anthony 1
SF: Scavelli, Garrett 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tucker, Jackson 2 ; Scavelli, Garrett 1 ; Keenan, Jimmy 2 ; Higgins, Marty 1 ; Beauchamp, Ben 2 ; Orbon, Luke 2 ; Brienza, Anthony 1
SB: Beauchamp, Ben 1 ; Orbon, Luke 1
CS: Mayberry, Blake 1
HBP: Orbon, Paul 1 ; Beauchamp, Ben 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
3
R
2
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
2
H
1
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
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INF
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INF
/ BaseballC
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RHP
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OF
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