St. John's University Athletics
Saturday, February 21
DeLand, Fla. (Patricia Wilson Field)
12 p.m.
St. John's University
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Columbia
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7
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H
E
St. John's (NY)
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6
8
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Columbia
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4
Red Storm Splits Saturday Doubleheader on Day Two of Stetson Invitational
2/21/2026 6:45:00 PM | Softball
St. John’s rallies past Columbia before falling to Stetson; Jess Bianco records 100th career steal
DELAND, Fla. — The St. John's softball team split Saturday's doubleheader at Patricia Wilson Field, opening the day with a 6-4 comeback win over Columbia (0-7, 0-0 Ivy League) before falling 6-4 to Stetson (11-3, 0-0 Atlantic Sun) in the afternoon matchup. The Red Storm moved to 11-3 on the season behind timely offense and a dominant relief outing in the opener.
Jess Bianco turned in another strong day for St. John's, recording four hits, two runs scored and three stolen bases across the two contests. The senior also reached the 100-steal milestone in the morning matchup.
St. John's totaled 14 hits and 10 runs on the afternoon, using a pair of late inning scoring surges to secure the comeback victory over Columbia before Stetson answered with early offense in game two.
Game 1: St. John's 6, Columbia 4
St. John's erased an early four-run deficit and scored six unanswered runs to defeat Columbia (0-7), 6-4, in Saturday's opener. The Red Storm posted eight hits and committed no errors behind 6.2 scoreless innings of relief from Loreley Francia.
Columbia jumped ahead with four runs in the first, but St. John's broke through in the second when Ava Fierst walked and later scored on an RBI single up the middle by Bianco.
The Red Storm pulled even in the fifth. Bianco scored on a misplay at third before Gia Fernandez delivered a two-run single to shallow center, driving in Cassidy Stouffer and Sarah Post to knot the game at 4-4.
St. John's moved in front for good with a two-run seventh. Stouffer scored on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Elanna Lysiak, and Natasha Limbani crossed the plate on an infield RBI single from Fierst to make it 6-4.
Loreley Francia was dominant in relief, allowing just four hits and striking out six without surrendering a run. Fierst finished with two hits, one RBI and two runs scored, while Fernandez drove in a pair. Bianco added two hits, an RBI and two stolen bases, including the 100th of her career.
Game 2: Stetson 6, St. John's 4
St. John's scored in each of the first three innings but could not hold off a steady offensive push from Stetson (11-3), falling 6-4 in the afternoon matchup. The Red Storm collected six hits and left nine runners on base.
St. John's opened the scoring in the first when London Slade reached on an error and eventually scored after Fernandez reached on a second miscue. The Red Storm extended the lead to 3-1 in the second as Stouffer came home on an RBI bunt single by Bianco, who later crossed the plate on a two-out error.
In the third, Limbani walked, and after Ana Serafinko singled to second, Fierst beat out a bunt single to score Limbani and make it 4-1. Stetson responded in the home half with three runs, including a two-run home run from Logan Forman, to take a 5-4 lead.
The Hatters added an insurance run in the fifth when Irianis Garcia tripled to right and scored on a groundout by Nicole Edmiaston to push the margin to 6-4. St. John's put two on in the seventh behind walks drawn by Lysiak and Limbani, but the Red Storm could not capitalize.
Serafinko pitched six innings, allowing eight hits while striking out five. Bianco tallied two hits, scored once and stole a base, while Fierst added an RBI single. Stouffer and Serafinko each contributed a hit in the loss.
St. John's concludes its weekend in the Sunshine State tomorrow morning with a 10 a.m. first pitch against Columbia.
Jess Bianco turned in another strong day for St. John's, recording four hits, two runs scored and three stolen bases across the two contests. The senior also reached the 100-steal milestone in the morning matchup.
St. John's totaled 14 hits and 10 runs on the afternoon, using a pair of late inning scoring surges to secure the comeback victory over Columbia before Stetson answered with early offense in game two.
Game 1: St. John's 6, Columbia 4
St. John's erased an early four-run deficit and scored six unanswered runs to defeat Columbia (0-7), 6-4, in Saturday's opener. The Red Storm posted eight hits and committed no errors behind 6.2 scoreless innings of relief from Loreley Francia.
Columbia jumped ahead with four runs in the first, but St. John's broke through in the second when Ava Fierst walked and later scored on an RBI single up the middle by Bianco.
The Red Storm pulled even in the fifth. Bianco scored on a misplay at third before Gia Fernandez delivered a two-run single to shallow center, driving in Cassidy Stouffer and Sarah Post to knot the game at 4-4.
St. John's moved in front for good with a two-run seventh. Stouffer scored on a bases-loaded walk drawn by Elanna Lysiak, and Natasha Limbani crossed the plate on an infield RBI single from Fierst to make it 6-4.
Loreley Francia was dominant in relief, allowing just four hits and striking out six without surrendering a run. Fierst finished with two hits, one RBI and two runs scored, while Fernandez drove in a pair. Bianco added two hits, an RBI and two stolen bases, including the 100th of her career.
Game 2: Stetson 6, St. John's 4
St. John's scored in each of the first three innings but could not hold off a steady offensive push from Stetson (11-3), falling 6-4 in the afternoon matchup. The Red Storm collected six hits and left nine runners on base.
St. John's opened the scoring in the first when London Slade reached on an error and eventually scored after Fernandez reached on a second miscue. The Red Storm extended the lead to 3-1 in the second as Stouffer came home on an RBI bunt single by Bianco, who later crossed the plate on a two-out error.
In the third, Limbani walked, and after Ana Serafinko singled to second, Fierst beat out a bunt single to score Limbani and make it 4-1. Stetson responded in the home half with three runs, including a two-run home run from Logan Forman, to take a 5-4 lead.
The Hatters added an insurance run in the fifth when Irianis Garcia tripled to right and scored on a groundout by Nicole Edmiaston to push the margin to 6-4. St. John's put two on in the seventh behind walks drawn by Lysiak and Limbani, but the Red Storm could not capitalize.
Serafinko pitched six innings, allowing eight hits while striking out five. Bianco tallied two hits, scored once and stole a base, while Fierst added an RBI single. Stouffer and Serafinko each contributed a hit in the loss.
St. John's concludes its weekend in the Sunshine State tomorrow morning with a 10 a.m. first pitch against Columbia.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Francia, Loreley (6-1)
L: Nguyen, Caylene (0-1)
Batting:
RBI: Fierst, Ava 1 ; Bianco, Jess 1 ; Fernandez, Gia 2 ; Lysiak, Elanna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Fierst, Ava 1 ; Post, Sarah 1 ; Bianco, Jess 1 ; Stouffer, Cassidy 2 ; Limbani, Natasha 1
SB: Post, Sarah 1 ; Bianco, Jess 1 ; Limbani, Natasha 1
CS: Fierst, Ava 1
HBP: Stouffer, Cassidy 1
Batting:
RBI: Hubble, Tatum 1 ; Shimansky, Payton 1 ; Nguyen, Caylene 1 ; Swanigan, Onna 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shimansky, Payton 1 ; Mason, Kyra 1 ; Katsivalis, Eleni 1 ; Mikami, Sarah 1
HBP: Mikami, Sarah 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
p/dp
AB
2
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
2
Players Mentioned
OF
/ Softball3B/INF
/ SoftballOF/UTIL
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
SS
/ Softball
3B/OF
/ Softball
C/INF
/ Softball
P
/ Softball
OF
/ Softball
MIF
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