St. John’s Splits Series-Opening Doubleheader with Villanova

Saturday, May 10

Queens, N.Y. (Kaiser Stadium)

12 p.m.

St. John's University

25-21, 9-7

Villanova

21-24, 5-11

Villanova

St. John's

St. John’s Splits Series-Opening Doubleheader with Villanova

5/10/2025 7:36:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Box Score Game One (PDF)Box Score Game Two (PDF)Highlights

Anthony Brienza tallied six hits between both contests

QUEENS, N.Y. – The St. John's baseball team (26-21, 10-7 BIG EAST) split its series-opening doubleheader against Villanova (21-25, 5-12 BIG EAST), on Saturday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium in Queens, N.Y.

Anthony Brienza impressed at the plate between both of Saturday's contests, going 6-for-8 with a double, a triple, three RBIs and three runs scored. Luke Orbon contributed four hits, two doubles, four scores and an RBI at Jack Kaiser Stadium. Jared Beebe picked up four hits, alongside four RBIs and two tallies. Jackson Tucker stole a base in each contest.

Game 1: St, John's 5, Villanova 7

Beebe led the Johnnies with a pair of hits, a sacrifice fly, a run scored and an RBI in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader. Brienza tallied the 100^th hit of his career on an RBI triple with a pair of scores. Shaun McMillan hit a double at Jack Kaiser Stadium, while Tucker and Jon LeGrande both stole a base and notched a hit.

Dylan Johnson had a great outing out of the bullpen, tossing 3.2 innings of no-run ball, only giving up two hits with a season-high four strikeouts.

The Johnnies struck first in the bottom of the opening inning. With two outs, Beebe smacked a single into right field before McMillan drove a double into left-center field, giving the Johnnies two runners in scoring position. A defensive error by the Wildcats' third baseman plated Beebe for an initial 1-0 Red Storm edge.

St. John's added another three runs to its lead in the home half of the second frame. Orbon worked a walk and was waved all the way home on an Brienza RBI triple. LeGrande was then issued a free pass, as Tucker laid down an RBI bunt single to score Brienza. LeGrande and Tucker proceeded to pull off a double steal, while Beebe capped off the scoring by whacking a sacrifice fly and increasing the Johnnies' advantage to 4-0.

Villanova put itself on the board in the top of the third inning. After the Wildcats loaded the bases on three free passes, an RBI single and a sacrifice fly scored a pair of runs and chopped down their deficit in half, 4-2.

In the fourth stanza, Villanova tied the game. After the first batter of the side reached on a single, Jojo Montgomery hit a two-run homer, evening the contest, 4-4.

The Wildcats jumped in front in the top of the sixth inning. With one out, an RBI double, an RBI single and a wild pitch brought three runners home, giving the away team a 7-4 advantage.

Johnson and the Wildcats' relief pitchers flew through the seventh and eighth allowing no runs, hits, or walks. Johnson continued to cruise through the top of the ninth, keeping Villanova off the board.

The Red Storm scored one more run off a Jayder Raifstanger sacrifice fly, but they were unable to complete the comeback as the Johnnies fell, 7-5.

Game 2: St, John's 15, Villanova 1

Brienza went off for a career-high five hits in five at-bats in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader, picking up a double, two RBIs and a score in the contest. Orbon contributed three hits, including two doubles, with three runs and an RBI.

Raifstanger unleashed three hits as well, logging a pair of tallies with an RBI and a walk on Saturday afternoon. Will Cowan registered two hits, including a two-run homer, alongside two runs scored and a pair of RBIs. Beebe smacked a pair of singles with a run and three RBIs, all coming in the first inning.

Tucker had a great day at the plate, totaling a pair of hits, including a double with three scores, an RBI and a stolen base. Sean Britt smashed a grand slam, the first of his career, against the Wildcats.

Victor Frederick was phenomenal on the mound, picking up his fourth win of the season behind five innings of no-run ball, only allowing three hits and two walks while tying his season-high of six strikeouts. Brady Clark notched the first save of his career, only giving up two hits and a walk with four punchouts in three innings of work.

For the second game in a row, the Red Storm put itself on the scoreboard in the bottom of the first inning. After Tucker reached and made his way to second base on a lead-off error, Raifstanger moved him over on a base hit into right field. Beebe proceeded to send an RBI single into left field, scoring Tucker before McMillan loaded the bases with an infield single. Britt then crushed a 1-0 pitch for a grand slam into the home bullpen, while Orbon and Brienza both notched base hits to keep the inning going. LeGrande and Tucker followed it up by going back-to-back with an RBI double and an RBI single, in front of Beebe polishing off the scoring onslaught with a two-run base hit for a 9-0 advantage.

Following scoreless second and third frames, the Johnnies tacked on another two runs in the home half for the fourth. Cowan led off the stanza by singling to left field, stealing second base and going home on an Orbon RBI single. Orbon was then given the wave around the bases in the ensuing at-bat from a Brienza RBI base hit, pushing St. John's lead to 11-0.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Red Storm continued to pad its advantage. Tucker opened the inning by striking a lead-off double into right-center field, ahead of being brought to the plate on a Raifstanger RBI single. Cowan finished off the inning by crushing a two-run homer to the center field batter's eye, extending the home advantage to 14-0.

Villanova posted its first and only run of the ballgame in the top of the sixth, benefiting from an Aidan Barry solo home run to trail by 13, 14-1.

The Johnnies added another tally in the sixth stanza. Orbon kicked off the frame by doubling up the middle before Brienza plated him on a blazing RBI single into right field, his fourth hit of the day, padding St. John's lead back to 14, 15-1.

Clark was able to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard for the rest of the game, picking up the save to complete the 15-1 win.

The Red Storm will finish off its series against the Wildcats with its home finale tomorrow afternoon. First pitch from Jack Kaiser Stadium is set for 1 p.m.