Feb. 26, 2008

Box Score

ROCK HILL, S.C. - Senior lefty Matt Tosoni tossed his second career complete game shutout to lead the Red Storm (4-0) to a 2-0 win over Winthrop. Tosoni mixed speeds and locations throughout the game to keep the Eagles off balance as he faced just three batters over the minimum and induced 15 groundouts.

In his first start of the season, Tosoni (1-0) scattered 3 hits and needed just 108 pitches to finish the game. After working a 1-2-3 first inning, the lefty allowed a single in both the second and third innings before retiring the next 16 Eagles in a row. During the stretch, Tosoni induced ten groundouts, three fly outs and had three strikeouts. Bennett Jordan ended the stretch with a leadoff single in the ninth, but Tosoni then retired the next three batters to finish his complete game effort.

For the fourth consecutive game, the Red Storm got on the board first as the team plated one run in the top of the first inning without getting a hit. Winthrop (2-2) pitcher Dave Carbonell opened the game by hitting Brian Kemp with a pitch and walking Carlos Del Rosario. After Chris Anninos was hit by a pitch, Carbonell induced a fly out from Tim Morris. Jeff Grantham then plated Kemp with a sacrifice fly to right field.

St. John's went down in order in the second and after a quick first out in the third, Del Rosario and Anninos put together back-to-back singles. The Red Storm, however, could not capitalize and the score remained 1-0. Dane Yoder replaced Carbonell on the mound in the sixth, but was quickly replaced by Robert Lake after striking out Morris and walking Grantham. After BIG EAST Player of the Week Joe Witkowski singled to move Grantham to third, Gil Zayas reached on an error by third baseman Bryn Henderson that allowed Grantham to come home.

After Lake retired the first two batters in the eighth, St. John's tried to open up a two-out rally with a pair of singles by Witkowski and Zayas. Winthrop, however, went to the bullpen and Josh McDonald induced a fly out from Tom La Stella to end the threat.

Del Rosario, Kemp and Witkowski each went 2-for-4 for the Red Storm.

Notes: St. John's alum Frank Viola threw out the ceremonial first pitch ... Viola's youngest daughter Kaley is a member of Winthrop's volleyball team.