March 22, 2008

PISCATAWAY, N.J. - The St. John's baseball team rallied in the seventh inning to break a 9-9 tie and went on to defeat Rutgers 12-9 and complete the sweep of the three-game set. Carlos Del Rosario had three RBI, while Chris Anninos, Greg Hopkins and Tim Morris had two hits apiece to lead St. John's (16-4, 3-0). Tom Edwards, Jon Gossard and Jaren Matthews had two RBI each to lead Rutgers (5-12, 0-3).

For the fifth straight game, it was the Red Storm that drew first blood. Brian Kemp led off with a walk and stole second base before Daniel Benedetti reached on an infield single. After a strikeout, Paul Karmas singled up the middle on the first pitch he saw to plate Kemp. Hopkins followed with an RBI single of his own to put St. John's up 2-0. Del Rosario then belted a three-run home run over the right field fence to give St. John's an early 5-0 lead.

Anninos led off the third inning with an opposite field home run over the right field fence. The right fielder's team best third home run of the year put St. John's up 6-0.

After putting two runners on to open the bottom of the third, a blister forced Jared Yecker out of the game. Nick Cenatiempo entered and walked the first batter he faced before Tom Edwards plated a run with a sacrifice fly. The run marked the first time Rutgers had scored against St. John's in 16.0 innings. Cenatiempo would end the inning with a double play.

Cenatiempo would retire five of the first seven batters he faced before walking the bases loaded in the fifth. Matt Tosoni entered and Edwards promptly brought in a run with his second sacrifice fly of the game. After another fly out, Rutgers put together three consecutive RBI singles to chase Tosoni from the game. Luis Monell entered for St. John's and induced a fly out to end the inning.

In the sixth inning, Gil Zayas was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Morris then reached on an error by the first baseman and St. John's had runners on first and third with no outs. After Morris stole second, Gino Matias then reached on an error by the third baseman that allowed Zayas to score. Hustling out of the box, Matias would end up at second base on the play. After a passed ball allowed Morris to score and Matias to move to third base, Matias came in on a sacrifice fly by Kemp.

The Scarlet Knights came right back in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 9-9. After getting the first out, Monell loaded the bases with a single and a pair of walks. Jon Gossard then singled to left field to drive in two runs. After the relay home was not in time, Red Storm catcher Benedetti threw down to second base to try and get Gossard. The throw went wide, however, and another run scored as Gossard moved to third. Jaren Matthews followed with a sacrifice fly, before Miguel Valcarcel replaced Monell on the mound and finished the inning with a strikeout.

Tied at 9-9, Karmas got things started in the seventh by reaching on an error to lead off the inning. Karmas moved to second on a groundout by Hopkins and advanced to third on a wild pitch. St. John's retook the lead when Zayas doubled down the left field line to plate Karmas.

After allowing a one-out walk in the bottom of the inning, Valcarcel (1-0) and St. John's kept Rutgers at bay with a nifty strike-`em-out-throw-`em-out double play to end the inning.

The Red Storm would add insurance in the ninth as Anninos led off with a double. Karmas moved Anninos up with a sacrifice bunt and Hopkins followed with a ground rule double to plate Anninos. Del Rosario walked and Zayas followed with a fly out that moved Hopkins to third. Morris then singled to bring in Hopkins and put St. John's up 12-9.

Colin Lynch earned his fifth save and second in two days with a scoreless ninth that included a game-ending double play.

St. John's returns to action with a home game against Columbia on Tuesday, March 25. First pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Jack Kaiser Stadium.

Notes: Zayas now ranks sixth all-time with 41 career doubles ... Hopkins extended his hitting streak to eight games ... St. John's improved to 10-0 when scoring in the first inning ... Rutgers was swept at home for the first time since May 21-23, 2004 against Villanova ... Rutgers had not been swept in a league series since UConn swept the Scarlet Knights on May 18-20, 2006.