St. John’s Ties New Mexico, 2-2

Sunday, February 9

Houston, Texas (Cougar Softball Stadium)

11 a.m.

St. John's University

1-3-1

New Mexico

3-3-1

New Mexico

St. John's

2/9/2025 1:58:00 PM | Softball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

A cut-off time ended the contest in the top of the eighth inning

By: Josh McLaren

HOUSTON – The St. John's softball team (1-3-1) tied New Mexico, 2-2, due to a cut-off time at the Cougar Softball Stadium on Sunday to conclude its opening weekend trip to Texas.

The Red Storm offense recorded 10 hits in the game, marking the third time in the first five games this season it has tallied double digits in hits.

Starting pitcher Loreley Francia finished her impressive first weekend of the season, tossing 5.2 innings while only giving up two hits and two runs (one earned) while striking out five. Francia appeared in all five games this weekend, maintaining a 1.84 ERA in 19 innings pitched with 22 punchouts.

Anese Thompson delivered both of St. John's runs on the afternoon by crushing a two-run homer into center field in the third inning. The Ventura, Calif., product is now tied for the team lead in home runs and RBIs to start the year.

Centerfielder Jess Bianco recorded her 100^th career hit in the first inning on an infield single to third. Bianco reached base three times in the contest with a pair of base hits and a walk.

Junior Cassidy Stouffer received her first start of the season as the designated player and went 3-for-4 with a double. Stouffer is now 5-for-7 from the dish on the season.

After Francia opened the contest with a 1-2-3 inning, Bianco hit an infield single to third for the 100^th hit of her career and advanced to second on a throwing error. New Mexico's starter Natalie Fritz battled back, retiring the next two batters to keep the contest scoreless after one.

New Mexico (3-3-1) took the first lead of the ballgame in the top of the second, plating a pair of runs, 2-0.

Stouffer and Celia Macari both singled to put two runners on with one out for the Johnnies in the bottom of the second, but Fritz stranded the runners, recording the next two outs, 2-0.

Francia settled back in on the rubber, punching out a pair in the top of the third to hold New Mexico's lead to two runs.

In the bottom of the third, Bianco kicked off the frame by drawing a walk and then advanced to second on a Madison Konopkasacrifice bunt. London Jarrard then drilled a single back up the middle, but Bianco was cut down at home attempting to score. With two outs now, Thompson stepped to the plate and crushed her first home run of the season on a two-run shot to center field, knotting the game 2-2. Stouffer followed up with a double to left before Lobos' reliever McKenna Guest tallied the final out to keep the game tied after three innings of play.

Following that point, the game remained deadlocked at 2-2. St. John's best opportunity to score came in the bottom of the seventh after Thompson walked and Stouffer hit a single down the left-field line. The runners advanced to second and third on a flyout, but New Mexico recorded the third out to keep the game tied.

The two teams started the top of the eighth with reliever Ana Serafinko recording the first out of the inning before the cut-off time was enforced, resulting in a 2-2 tie.

St. John's will be back in action when it heads to Tampa, Fla., to partake in the USF Softball Tournament against the pool of Penn State, Loyola-Chicago and USF from Feb. 14-16.