St. John’s Walks Off Maine, 8-7

Saturday, March 15

Queens, N.Y. (Kaiser Stadium)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

5-11

Maine

4-12

Maine

St. John's

3/15/2025 4:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Sean Britt hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning to walk off the Black Bears

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's baseball team (5-11) walked off Maine (4-12), 8-7, on Saturday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium in Queens, N.Y.

Sean Britt was the hero for the Johnnies, hitting a walk-off sacrifice fly to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The sophomore catcher finished the day against the Black Bears with a hit and two RBIs.

Anthony Brienza and Shaun McMillan both racked up three hits and scored a run apiece at Jack Kaiser Stadium. McMillan tallied two RBIs while Brienza batted in a run in the contest. Jared Beebe logged a pair of hits, including a double, with two scores on Saturday afternoon. Jackson Tucker contributed two runs and a hit.

Jed Boyle picked up his second win of the season, going for two innings of relief, only allowing one run (zero earned) with a season-high four strikeouts.

Maine posted a two-spot in the opening inning. After the Black Bears' Drew Reynolds singled into right field, Dean O'Neil smacked an infield base hit that moved Reynolds to third. O'Neil moved to second on a Red Storm miscue before he and Reynolds were brought home on a combination of a bunt and a sacrifice fly, giving the away team a 2-0 lead.

The Johnnies got on the board in the bottom of the first. Tucker led off the frame with an infield single and moved to third off a base knock from Jayder Raifstanger. Tucker was sent home on a McMillan sacrifice fly, cutting the Red Storm's deficit to one, 2-1.

Following quiet second and third stanzas, Maine led off the fourth with a double into right-center field, a sacrifice bunt and a hit batter, putting runners on the corners with one out. The Black Bears pushed their lead back up to two, 3-1, scoring a run on a sacrifice fly.

St. John's loaded the bases to start the home half of the fourth off a pair of singles from McMillan and Luke Orbon with a Will Cowan walk. Brienza singled and advanced to second on a poor throw from Maine's pitcher, plating both McMillan and Cowan to tie the game, 3-3.

Beebe made his way to third base from a double and a wild pitch in the fifth inning with two outs. Beebe would give the Red Storm the lead, 4-3, coming to the plate on a blooping RBI single off the bat of Britt.

Maine grabbed the lead right back in the top of the sixth, capitalizing on a Brody Rasmussen three-run homer to go ahead, 6-4.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the Johnnies put runners on the corners after Brienza and Jon LeGrande each notched a base knock. A Black Bear error allowed Tucker to reach first and scored Brienza, just before a passed ball brought LeGrande home, knotting the game. An out later, McMillan proceeded to mash an RBI single into left field, scoring Tucker to give the Johnnies the lead, 7-6.

After Reynolds was plunked to lead off the eighth, he stole second and then was brought home an out later, on the Red Storm's fourth error of the game, tying the score, 7-7.

Following Boyle retiring Maine in order during the top of the ninth inning, Beebe led off the bottom of the frame by whacking a base hit into center field. McMillan then laced a single into right field before Cristian Bernardini reached, moving Beebe to third base. Britt then came to the plate, hitting a walk-off sacrifice fly that scored Beebe and won the game for the Johnnies, 8-7.

The Red Storm will polish off its series with Maine tomorrow afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Queens, N.Y.