St. John’s Edged Out By Ohio State, 12-10

Tuesday, March 4

Columbus, Ohio (Bill Davis Stadium)

3 p.m.

St. John's University

1-9

Ohio State

2-8

St. John's

Ohio State

3/4/2025 8:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Jared Beebe and Shaun McMillan both registered three RBIs

COLUMBUS, Ohio – The St. John's baseball team (1-9) fell in a nail-biter to Ohio State (2-8), 12-10, to close out its four-game road trip on Tuesday afternoon at Bill Davis Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Jared Beebe and Shaun McMillan both went 2-for-4 at the plate with a run scored and three RBIs. McMillan mashed a home run while Beebe picked up a double in the seventh inning.

Jayder Raifstanger had a 2-for-4 day at the dish, smacking two doubles with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored. The sophomore has now reached base in every game so far this season for the Red Storm and leads the team with a .395 batting average and 15 hits.

Anthony Brienza and Jon LeGrande both logged two hits and two runs apiece on Tuesday afternoon. LeGrande hit his first home run of the season in the top of the fourth inning. Jackson Tucker scored two runs and stole a base against the Buckeyes.

Ohio State posted the first run of the game in the bottom of the opening inning. After Trey Lipsey reached on an error and moved to third off a Tyler Pettorini double, he was able to score off a wild pitch, giving Ohio State an early 1-0 edge.

Following a clean second frame, the Red Storm got itself on the board in the away half of the third. Brienza led off the inning with a single up the middle, ahead of LeGrande smacking a base hit into right field, putting runners on first and second. Raifstanger picked up his third double of the Johnnies' road trip, bringing Brienza home just before Beebe hit an infield RBI one-bagger, beating out the throw and putting runners on the corners. The Johnnies continued to mash as McMillan produced the second RBI single in as many at-bats, blasting the ball through the right side and giving St. John's a 3-1 lead.

LeGrande rocked his first homer of the season in the fourth inning, sending a long ball to deep center field that pushed the Red Storm's lead to three, 4-1.

Ohio State retook the advantage in the home half of the fourth, using a double and two singles with no outs to go ahead, 5-4. In the fifth, Lee Elias blasted a two-run shot, growing the Buckeye's lead to three, 7-4.

The Johnnies threatened in the top of the sixth with an Adam Agresti walk and a Brienza hit-by-pitch, putting runners on first and second base. Nik Copenhaver came on in relief for Ohio State and threw a flyout to put away the side.

St. John's went ahead with a four-spot in the seventh inning. Raifstanger roped his second RBI double of the day into left-center field, plating Tucker, who had a great jump on the hit, all the way from first base. Raifstanger proceeded to advance to third on a wild pitch and go home after Beebe drilled an RBI two-bagger down the right-field line. McMillan then crushed a 2-1 pitch, sending an opposite-field two-run shot into right and giving St. John's an 8-7 edge.

Ohio State grabbed the lead back in the bottom of the seventh. A blooping singled pushed two Buckeyes across the plate, before they tacked on another score off an RBI double, going on top, 10-8.

The Red Storm capitalized on a bases-loaded situation in the eighth inning. Brienza tallied a base hit and sprinted to third on a fielder's choice, ahead of Tucker and Raifstanger being issued free passes with one out. Brienza scored and Tucker moved to third on a sacrifice fly, before a Buckeye error brought Tucker home, tying the game yet again, 10-10.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Buckeyes went in front, 12-10, tacking on a pair of scores off an RBI base knock and a wild pitch. Will Cowan blooped a single to start the ninth, and LeGrande walked, but the Johnnies couldn't capitalize as Ohio State closed out the game.

The Red Storm will return to Queens this weekend, where it will host NJIT in a three-game series for its home opener at Jack Kaiser Stadium.