St. John’s Takes Down Villanova in Doubleheader

Friday, April 25

Queens, N.Y. (Red Storm Field)

1 p.m.

St. John's University

35-14-1, 0

Villanova

24-21-1, 0

Villanova

St. John's

4/25/2025 7:40:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score (Game 1)Highlights (Game 1)Box Score (Game 2)Highlights (Game 2)Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

The Red Storm dominate the Wildcats to win both contests on Friday

By: Josh McLaren

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's softball team (36-14-1, 16-4 BIG EAST) took down Villanova (24-22-1, 12-8 BIG EAST) in both games of Friday's series-opening doubleheader at Red Storm Field.

The Johnnies took game one by a score of 3-1 behind a dominant pitching performance by Ana Serafinko, who notched 16 strikeouts in a complete game effort. In the latter contest, the Red Storm offense exploded for 11 runs to take down Villanova 11-2 in five innings.

Serafinko tallied her team-leading 18^th win inside the circle in game one, dominating the Wildcats with a 16-strikeout performance in which she allowed one run on two hits. The left-hander now holds a 2.39 ERA and has totaled 250 punchouts in 164 innings pitched this year. In game two, Serafinko did damage from the dish, going 2-for-3 with a two-run home run.

Anese Thompson and Cassidy Stouffer led the offense, tallying four hits between the two contests. Thompson drilled a double in the first game before hitting a two-run homer in the opening frame of game two. Stouffer was a catalyst on offense, scoring three times after finishing with a double and three singles.

Melanie Santos proved to be the offensive hero in game one, blooping the game-deciding two-RBI single into center field in the bottom of the sixth inning. The first baseman followed it up with a pair of hits in game two, including a two-RBI double.

London Jarrard and Natalie Casto made their presence felt from the dish in the latter contest, finishing with two hits apiece. Jarrard launched a no-doubt solo shot to kick off the scoring in the bottom of the first before adding an RBI double later in the game. Casto notched a career-high three RBIs with a two-run home run and an RBI single in the dominant win.

Game 1

Serafinko kicked off the opening contest on fire, striking out the side in the first two frames to keep the game scoreless into the home half of the second.

The Red Storm tallied its first hits of the contest in the bottom of the second when Thompson and Stouffer strung together a pair of singles with one out. The threat was minimized by Villanova's starter Kat Gallant, who recorded the next two outs, 0-0.

Inside the circle, Serafinko continued to roll, striking out the side for the third consecutive inning in the third before adding two more punchouts in the fourth to raise her total to 11 strikeouts, 0-0.

Serafinko struck out the side for the fourth time in the top of the fifth, giving her 14 punchouts in the contest, 0-0.

The Johnnies cracked the run column in the bottom of the fifth with Santos leading off the frame with a bloop single. Paige Sterling then pinch ran ahead of Casto, who laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance her to second. After Villanova recorded the second out, Jess Bianco delivered an RBI single back up the middle to give St. John's a 1-0 lead

The Wildcats responded in the top of the sixth with Kelsey White hitting a solo home run to left field, knotting the score at 1-1.

After Villanova recorded the first two outs in the bottom of the sixth, the Red Storm rallied as Thompson lined a double into right-center field before Stouffer notched an infield single to third, putting runners on the corners. Santos then delivered a bloop single to center field, plating both runners to give the Johnnies a 3-1 lead.

Serafinko closed it out in the seventh, working around a two-out walk while striking out her 16^th batter to seal the 3-1 St. John's victory in game one of the doubleheader.

Game 2

In the latter contest, Villanova jumped out to an early lead, plating a run on an Elaina Wagner RBI single to left, 1-0. Game two starter Loreley Francia limited the damage by producing a crucial flyout with two runners on to keep the Wildcats' advantage to one run.

The Red Storm responded in a big way in the home half of the first, plating four runs. Jarrard opened the scoring attack by launching a solo home run over the wall in right-center field, 1-1. An out later, Serafinko lined a single to right field before Thompson drilled a line drive two-run homer off to left, 3-1. Stouffer then singled and Santos walked ahead of Casto, who drove an RBI single over the third baseman to give St. John's a 4-1 lead.

Francia settled back in on the rubber in the top of the second, tallying a pair of strikeouts in a clean frame to preserve the Red Storm's three-run advantage.

The St. John's offense continued to be explosive in the bottom of the second, scoring seven runs. Bianco led off the frame with a bunt single and swiped second, setting the table for Jarrard, who drove an RBI double off the wall in right-center field, 5-1. An out later, Serafinko pulled a two-run homer off to right field, 7-1. Thompson and Stouffer followed by putting two more runners on with a single and a double, respectively. Santos then smacked a double off the left-field wall, plating both runners, 9-1. Casto capped the frame by driving a two-run home run over the wall in left-center, 11-1.

The Wildcats got a run back in the top of the third with Maranda Runco hitting a solo home run, 11-2.

The score remained as Francia tossed a clean fourth and fifth inning, enforcing the run-rule to give St. John's an 11-2 triumph in game two.

The Red Storm and Wildcats will wrap up the series on Sunday at noon as St. John's will honor its graduating class with a senior day ceremony. The contest will be streamed on ESPN+ with Live Stats available on RedStormSports.com.