St. John's University Athletics
Thursday, April 17
Omaha, Neb. (Creighton Sports Complex)
5 p.m.
St. John's University
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at
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Creighton
St. John’s Sets Program Record with 33rd Win of the Season; Splits Opening Two Games with Creighton
4/18/2025 7:24:00 PM | Softball
The Red Storm set a new program record by recording its 33rd win of the season
OMAHA, Neb. – The St. John's softball team (33-13-1, 13-4 BIG EAST) split the opening two games of its series with Creighton (19-21, 9-8 BIG EAST) on Friday afternoon at the Creighton Sports Complex.
Yesterday, the series opener was suspended due to inclement weather in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied at 0-0. The contest resumed ahead of game two today with the Red Storm prevailing 1-0 in 13 innings. The win marked the 33rd victory of the year, setting a new program record for season wins.
After the completion of the opening game, the two squads went to battle in game two of the series, where the Bluejays prevailed 6-4.
Elanna Lysiak paced the offense, totaling five hits between the two contests. The junior delivered the winning hit in game one, driving an RBI single in the top of the 13th inning to break the scoreless tie. Lysiak is batting .338 and ranks second on the team with five home runs and 33 RBIs.
London Jarrard finished with four hits between the two games, including a three-hit performance in the latter contest. The shortstop blasted her team-leading 12th home run of the season with a solo blast in the third inning and chipped in an RBI single as well to match her single-season program record of 51 RBIs set last year.
Anese Thompson and Natalie Casto each notched an RBI in game two, rounding out the scoring for the Johnnies.
Inside the circle, Ana Serafinko recorded her 16th win in the opening game by tossing 7.2 clean innings of relief while punching out nine batters. The left-hander also threw 3.2 innings of relief in the latter game, striking out five. Serafinko has now totaled 224 strikeouts this season and holds a 2.47 ERA.
Loreley Francia drew the start yesterday and tossed 5.1 innings with seven punchouts in the opening game to reach the 400 career strikeout milestone.
Game 1
The Red Storm began Thursday's contest by threatening in the top of the first, putting two on with back-to-back singles by Lysiak and Thompson. Cassidy Stouffer then drove a deep fly ball to center field, but Ella Dalton made the catch, crashing into the wall for the third out, 0-0.
Inside the circle, Francia kicked off the contest with three scoreless frames, striking out four batters to keep the game scoreless into the fourth inning.
Stouffer attempted to jumpstart the St. John's offense in the top of the fourth, slapping a double into the right-center gap to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. However, Creighton's starter Kenzie Schopfer recorded the third out to keep the game at 0-0.
The Bluejays put their first runner in scoring position in the home half of the fourth with a pair of two-out base hits, but Francia was able to generate a foul out to right field, leaving the scoreboard blank.
Francia continued to roll on the rubber in the bottom of the fifth, punching out a pair of batters to bring her total to seven strikeouts in the contest.
In the bottom of the sixth, Creighton put two on with a single and a hit by pitch. Serafinko then entered the circle in relief, striking out the next two batters to keep the score at 0-0.
The score remained deadlocked at 0-0 into extra innings before the contest was suspended in the top of the 10th inning due to inclement weather, with Sarah Post at the plate and Melanie Santos at second with two outs. The game resumed today with Post recording an infield single before the Bluejays tallied the third out to keep the contest scoreless.
Serafinko continued where she left off yesterday, tossing three consecutive scoreless innings while striking out a trio of batters to send the game into the 13th inning.
In the top of the 13th, Madison Konopka led off by slapping a single through the left side, ahead of Bianco drawing a walk to put two on with no outs. Konopka then advanced to third on a fielder's choice for Lysiak, who drilled an RBI single into right field to plate the first run of the contest and give St. John's a 1-0 lead.
The Red Storm closed out the contest in the home half of the 13th as Serafinko worked around a lead-off single, striking out the final out to give St. John's the 1-0 victory and its 33rd win of the year to set a new program record.
Game 2
Bianco jumpstarted the Johnnies' offense to open game two of the series, driving a hard single back up the middle before Jarrard reached on an error to put two on with no outs. A flyout then allowed Bianco to move to third ahead of scoring on a deep sacrifice fly by Thompson to give the Red Storm an early 1-0 lead.
Creighton threatened to respond in the bottom of the first, putting two on with a pair of singles, but Francia was able to leave the frame unscathed by recording the final two outs and holding St. John's one-run advantage.
In the bottom of the second, the Bluejays evened the score when Hannah Poole hit a solo home run to right field, 1-1.
Jarrard answered right back, leading off the third inning by lasering a solo home run over the wall in right-center field, 2-1.
Creighton took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the third with Kaelan Schultz hitting a three-run home run, 4-2. Serafinko then entered in relief of Francia, recording the final two outs of the frame to limit the damage.
The contest continued to go back and forth when Santos and Casto led off the top of the fourth with back-to-back doubles, cutting into the Bluejays' lead, 4-3. After Casto advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bianco, Jarrard drove her home to knot the game with an RBI single to center field, 4-4.
The score remained tied until Schultz recorded a sacrifice fly and Ashten Pierson scored on a wild pitch to give Creighton a 6-4 lead after six innings of play.
St. John's threatened during its final chance in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs on a pair of singles by Stouffer and Serafinko and Santos reaching on an error. However, Creighton generated a crucial double play before retiring the final out to secure the 6-4 victory.
The Red Storm and Bluejays will conclude the series tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. ET from the Creighton Sports Complex in Omaha, Neb.
Yesterday, the series opener was suspended due to inclement weather in the top of the 10th inning with the score tied at 0-0. The contest resumed ahead of game two today with the Red Storm prevailing 1-0 in 13 innings. The win marked the 33rd victory of the year, setting a new program record for season wins.
After the completion of the opening game, the two squads went to battle in game two of the series, where the Bluejays prevailed 6-4.
Elanna Lysiak paced the offense, totaling five hits between the two contests. The junior delivered the winning hit in game one, driving an RBI single in the top of the 13th inning to break the scoreless tie. Lysiak is batting .338 and ranks second on the team with five home runs and 33 RBIs.
London Jarrard finished with four hits between the two games, including a three-hit performance in the latter contest. The shortstop blasted her team-leading 12th home run of the season with a solo blast in the third inning and chipped in an RBI single as well to match her single-season program record of 51 RBIs set last year.
Anese Thompson and Natalie Casto each notched an RBI in game two, rounding out the scoring for the Johnnies.
Inside the circle, Ana Serafinko recorded her 16th win in the opening game by tossing 7.2 clean innings of relief while punching out nine batters. The left-hander also threw 3.2 innings of relief in the latter game, striking out five. Serafinko has now totaled 224 strikeouts this season and holds a 2.47 ERA.
Loreley Francia drew the start yesterday and tossed 5.1 innings with seven punchouts in the opening game to reach the 400 career strikeout milestone.
Game 1
The Red Storm began Thursday's contest by threatening in the top of the first, putting two on with back-to-back singles by Lysiak and Thompson. Cassidy Stouffer then drove a deep fly ball to center field, but Ella Dalton made the catch, crashing into the wall for the third out, 0-0.
Inside the circle, Francia kicked off the contest with three scoreless frames, striking out four batters to keep the game scoreless into the fourth inning.
Stouffer attempted to jumpstart the St. John's offense in the top of the fourth, slapping a double into the right-center gap to put a runner in scoring position with two outs. However, Creighton's starter Kenzie Schopfer recorded the third out to keep the game at 0-0.
The Bluejays put their first runner in scoring position in the home half of the fourth with a pair of two-out base hits, but Francia was able to generate a foul out to right field, leaving the scoreboard blank.
Francia continued to roll on the rubber in the bottom of the fifth, punching out a pair of batters to bring her total to seven strikeouts in the contest.
In the bottom of the sixth, Creighton put two on with a single and a hit by pitch. Serafinko then entered the circle in relief, striking out the next two batters to keep the score at 0-0.
The score remained deadlocked at 0-0 into extra innings before the contest was suspended in the top of the 10th inning due to inclement weather, with Sarah Post at the plate and Melanie Santos at second with two outs. The game resumed today with Post recording an infield single before the Bluejays tallied the third out to keep the contest scoreless.
Serafinko continued where she left off yesterday, tossing three consecutive scoreless innings while striking out a trio of batters to send the game into the 13th inning.
In the top of the 13th, Madison Konopka led off by slapping a single through the left side, ahead of Bianco drawing a walk to put two on with no outs. Konopka then advanced to third on a fielder's choice for Lysiak, who drilled an RBI single into right field to plate the first run of the contest and give St. John's a 1-0 lead.
The Red Storm closed out the contest in the home half of the 13th as Serafinko worked around a lead-off single, striking out the final out to give St. John's the 1-0 victory and its 33rd win of the year to set a new program record.
Game 2
Bianco jumpstarted the Johnnies' offense to open game two of the series, driving a hard single back up the middle before Jarrard reached on an error to put two on with no outs. A flyout then allowed Bianco to move to third ahead of scoring on a deep sacrifice fly by Thompson to give the Red Storm an early 1-0 lead.
Creighton threatened to respond in the bottom of the first, putting two on with a pair of singles, but Francia was able to leave the frame unscathed by recording the final two outs and holding St. John's one-run advantage.
In the bottom of the second, the Bluejays evened the score when Hannah Poole hit a solo home run to right field, 1-1.
Jarrard answered right back, leading off the third inning by lasering a solo home run over the wall in right-center field, 2-1.
Creighton took its first lead of the series in the bottom of the third with Kaelan Schultz hitting a three-run home run, 4-2. Serafinko then entered in relief of Francia, recording the final two outs of the frame to limit the damage.
The contest continued to go back and forth when Santos and Casto led off the top of the fourth with back-to-back doubles, cutting into the Bluejays' lead, 4-3. After Casto advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bianco, Jarrard drove her home to knot the game with an RBI single to center field, 4-4.
The score remained tied until Schultz recorded a sacrifice fly and Ashten Pierson scored on a wild pitch to give Creighton a 6-4 lead after six innings of play.
St. John's threatened during its final chance in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with no outs on a pair of singles by Stouffer and Serafinko and Santos reaching on an error. However, Creighton generated a crucial double play before retiring the final out to secure the 6-4 victory.
The Red Storm and Bluejays will conclude the series tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. ET from the Creighton Sports Complex in Omaha, Neb.
Players Mentioned
UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
UTIL
/ Softball
MIF
/ Softball
3B/OF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
MIF
/ Softball
C/1B
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