Elanna Lysiak Blasts Two Home Runs to Propel St. John’s Past Iona, 6-1

Wednesday, March 12

Queens, N.Y. (Red Storm Field)

2 p.m.

St. John's University

17-8-1

Iona

4-10

Iona Gaels

St. John's

Elanna Lysiak Blasts Two Home Runs to Propel St. John’s Past Iona, 6-1

3/12/2025 5:52:00 PM | Softball

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The Red Storm opened play at home with a victory on Wednesday afternoon

By: Josh McLaren

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's softball team (17-8-1) opened play at Red Storm Field with a 6-1 victory over Iona on Wednesday afternoon.

The Red Storm tallied a run in four of the six innings and totaled 10 hits to win its home opener in Queens. St. John's has now won 15 of its last 17 contests dating back to Feb. 16 and currently rides a three-game winning streak.

Elanna Lysiak led the charge for the Johnnies by having a career day at the dish. The Wheatfield, N.Y., product went 4-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs against the Gaels. Lysiak gave the Red Storm an early lead in the bottom of the first, crushing a three-run homer to left-center field before blasting her second home run with a solo shot in the fifth inning. The junior leads the squad with four long balls and ranks second with 19 RBIs.

Inside the circle, Loreley Francia improved to 10-3 on the season, giving up just one hit across five scoreless frames while punching out nine batters. Francia lowered her team-best ERA to 1.28 and has 103 strikeouts in 82.1 innings this season.

London Jarrard and Jess Bianco each reached base four times and came around to score twice. Jarrard tallied a pair of singles to raise her team-high batting average to .439. Bianco swiped three bags and notched a base hit, bringing her total to 18 stolen bases and 36 hits on the season.

Cassidy Stouffer and Madison Konopka both recorded a sacrifice fly RBI for the Johnnies, rounding out the scoring.

After Francia punched out a pair in a scoreless top of the first, St. John's put immediate pressure on Iona (4-10) when Bianco drew a walk ahead of swiping second and third to put an early runner in scoring position in the bottom half. Jarrard then walked before Lysiak crushed a two-out, three-run home run to left-center field, giving the Red Storm an early 3-0 advantage.

Francia kept the momentum going inside the circle, tossing a 1-2-3 second and third while striking out two batters in each frame to raise her total to six strikeouts and keep the contest at 3-0.

In the bottom of the third, Jarrard and Anese Thompson were both hit by a pitch before Lysiak recorded a bunt single, loading the bases with no outs. Stouffer then sent a fly ball to center field, bringing home Jarrard on a sacrifice fly, 4-0.

Brianna Bailey recorded the first Iona hit in the top of the fourth with a single. A hit batter and walk then loaded the bases for the Gaels with one out. However, Francia rallied inside the circle, recording a strikeout and groundout to leave the inning unscathed, 4-0.

With an out in the bottom of the fourth, Bianco slapped a hard single into left field before promptly stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error. Konopka then sent a long fly ball to the right-field warning track, allowing Bianco to cross the plate and extend the Johnnies lead to 5-0.

Francia then recorded her fifth scoreless inning before Lysiak crushed her second home run of the game with a solo blast to center field in the bottom of the fifth, 6-0.

The Gaels put their first run on the board with a Hailey Guerrero solo home run in the top of the sixth, 6-1. Relief pitcher Ana Serafinko remained unphased, getting the next batter to ground out ahead of a punchout to hold the five-run edge.

Serafinko completed the win in the top of the seventh, notching a 1-2-3 inning with a pair of strikeouts to seal the 6-1 victory for St. John's.

The Johnnies will continue their homestand and open BIG EAST play when they welcome Georgetown to Red Storm Field for a three-game set this weekend.