Francia’s Complete Game Leads St. John’s Past George Mason, 5-4

Sunday, February 8

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

10 a.m.

St. John's University

4-1

George Mason

2-3

St. Johns

George Mason

Francia’s Complete Game Leads St. John’s Past George Mason, 5-4

2/8/2026 1:17:00 PM | Softball

Box Score St. John's vs. George Mason Box Score (PDF)

The Red Storm off to its best start through five games since 2010

PLEASANT POINT, S.C. — The St. John's softball team ( 4-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) closed out the Charleston Invitational with a 5-4 win over George Mason (2-3, 0-0 A10) behind a complete-game effort from Loreley Francia at Patriots Point.

With the victory, the Red Storm improved to 4-1, marking the program's best start to a season since 2010, when it also won four of five to start the year.

St. John's used a 10-hit performance and a three-run fifth inning to erase an early deficit before Francia retired the final nine hitters she faced to secure her second win of the 2026 campaign. The junior allowed only three hits across seven innings, did not walk a batter and struck out eight as all four of George Mason's runs went down as unearned.

Jess Bianco paced the offense with a 3-for-4 outing, a triple and two RBIs, while London Slade added two hits and an RBI. Elanna Lysiak scored twice and launched her first home run of the season. Avery Neuman chipped in an RBI single in the winning effort on Super Bowl Sunday.

After three scoreless innings from both sides, Lysiak broke open the scoring in the fourth with a solo shot to right-center, putting St. John's ahead 1-0. George Mason responded with four unearned runs in the bottom half, taking advantage of three Red Storm errors and a two-run double to claim a 4-1 advantage.

St. John's answered immediately in the fifth. Sarah Post doubled to begin the frame before pinch runner Madison Konopka moved to third on a Neuman single. Bianco followed with a two-run triple down the left-field line to bring the Johnnies within one before Slade punched a single up the middle to plate Bianco and tie the game at 4-4.

The Red Storm pushed across the eventual game-winner in the sixth when Neuman delivered a two-out RBI single to bring home Lysiak, who had reached on a single and advanced on a hit-by-pitch. Francia protected the one-run lead with a dominant finish, striking out two in the seventh and forcing a flyout to left to end the game.

St. John's is back in action on Feb. 13 in Leesburg, Fla., for The Spring Games. The Johnnies will face Alabama State, LIU, Southern Mississippi twice and Bethune-Cookman in the Sunshine State.