St. John’s Splits Doubleheader in Day Two of Charleston Invitational

Saturday, February 7

Mount Pleasant, S.C. (Softball Stadium at Patriots Point)

12:30 p.m.

St. John's University

3-0

Central Michigan

2-2

Central Michigan

St. Johns

St. John’s Splits Doubleheader in Day Two of Charleston Invitational

2/7/2026 11:29:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 St. John's vs. Central Michigan Box Score (PDF)St. John's vs. Charleston Box Score (PDF)

Serafino walks off to lift the Red Storm past Central Michigan, 7-6

PLEASANT POINT, S.C. — The St. John's softball team (3-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) split its second day at the Charleston Invitational outlasting Central Michigan (2-2, 0-0 MAC) in a 10-inning walk-off, 7-6, before falling in a tight 6-5 decision at College of Charleston (3-1, 0-0 CAA).

Game 1

St. John's rattled off its third consecutive victory to start the 2026 campaign on Saturday afternoon, battling through a back-and-forth contest before edging Central Michigan, 7-6, in 10 innings off a walk-off at Patriots Point.

The Red Storm collected 12 hits, overcame multiple late Chippewas pushes and walked off on an Ana Serafinko double to seal the win.

Jess Bianco went 2-for-4 and tallied a game-high three RBIs to lead four Red Storm players with multi-hit games. Natasha Limbani went 3-for-3 at the dish, logged an RBI and a walk. Ana Serafinko tallied a pair of hits and the game-winning RBI in the 10^th inning.

In the circle, the BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year threw 167 pitches and struck out a season-high 13 batters in nine innings of work in the Palmetto State.

The Johnnies struck first in the second inning, stringing together three runs to take early control. After Gia Fernandez singled and Limbani walked, Sarah Post reached on a fielder's choice to put runners on the corners. Makenna Meadows capitalized with an infield RBI single to bring home the first run of the day before Bianco punched a two-run single through right field to make it 3-0.

Central Michigan answered with a run in the fourth, but the Red Storm limited further damage behind a pair of strikeouts from Serafinko. Limbani and Fernandez each added singles in the sixth, but the Chippewas broke through in the seventh with three consective RBI swings to tie the game at 3-3. Central Michigan momentarily surged ahead in the eighth, scoring on a single up the middle before St. John's responded immediately. With
Ava Fierst placed on second via tiebreaker rules, Serafinko singled to left and later advanced on a wild pitch, setting up Limbani to deliver an RBI knock to even the score at four apiece.

Central Michigan reclaimed the lead with a sacrifice fly in the ninth, but the Red Storm fought back again. Post served as the tiebreaker runner and advanced on a Cassidy Stouffer single before Bianco hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring Post home and extend the contest to a 10^th inning at 5-5.

After the Chippewas scratched across another unearned run in the top half of the 10^th, St. John's rallied one final time. With Fierst at second, Elanna Lysiak roped an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at six-all before Serafinko stepped in and delivered the decisive blow, a walk-off double to center field that brought Lysiak home and secured the 7-6 victory.

Game 2

St. John's dropped a nail-biter in its second game of the day falling to College of Charleston, 6-5, on Saturday night.

The Johnnies manufactured five runs in each of the first two innings, collected nine hits overall and executed a triple play defensively, but a three-run third inning from the Cougars and a walk-off RBI in the seventh inning, which ultimately proved the difference.

Avery Neuman delivered a three-run home run, her first of the season to pace the Red Storm offensively. Bianco went 2-for-4 in the batter's box and has eight hits in 13 at bats to start the campaign.

The Red Storm wasted no time establishing control in the opening frame. London Slade set the tone by beating out a bunt single before Elanna Lysiak advanced her with a sacrifice. Fernandez put St. John's in front with a sharp RBI single down the left-field line, while Limbani added another hit to keep the pressure on.

Neuman then delivered the biggest swing of her young career, launching a three-run home run to left field in just her second career at-bat to put the Johnnies ahead by four, 4-0.

St. John's continued to apply pressure in the second. Bianco singled, stole second and came around to score on a well-placed base hit from Slade. Bianco later crossed the plate on a wild pitch to stretch the lead to 5-0. Fernandez added her second hit of the evening to help load the bases, keeping the Red Storm firmly in control early.

College of Charleston swung the momentum over the next two innings tallying five runs to tie the score, 5-5, at the end of the third inning.

Loreley Francia, who retired the next nine hitters she faced. The Red Storm defense backed her up with their play of the evening in the sixth, as Limbani turned a line-drive into a triple play that immediately erased any potential scoring threat.

St. John's was kept off the board in the sixth and seventh innings, setting up a tight finish. College of Charleston opened the bottom if the seventh with three straight singles before a low line drive into right field brought home the contest's deciding run.

The Red Storm will close out its time in South Carolina tomorrow morning when it takes on George Mason at 10 a.m.