May 4, 2008

Box Score

QUEENS, N.Y. - Carlos Del Rosario belted a walk off solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift No. 24 St. John's to a 6-5 win and a series sweep against West Virginia. Chris Anninos added to the ninth inning heroics with a game-tying three run home run earlier in the frame. Del Rosario, Anninos, Paul Karmas and Gil Zayas had two hits apiece for St. John's (35-10, 16-5). Joe Agreste had four RBI to lead West Virginia (32-14, 11-10).

The Red Storm took the lead with a run in the bottom of the second inning. Chris Anninos walked with one out to give St. John's its first base runner. With two outs, Carlos Del Rosario doubled to corner in left field and Anninos came all the way around to score and put the Red Storm up 1-0.

Red Storm starter Jared Yecker, meanwhile, retired the first seven batters of the game before allowing a one-out single in the third. The righty needed just four pitches to retire the side in the second.

In the top of the fourth, however, West Virginia would tie the score. After a one-out single by Jedd Gyorko, Vincent Belnome moved Gyorko up with a sacrifice bunt. Austin Markel then singled up the middle to plate Gyorko and tie the game at 1-1. After that, Yecker would need just seven pitches to retire the side in order in the fifth.

Gino Matias reached on an error with one out to open a run-scoring inning for St. John's in the fifth. Paul Karmas then singled to right field to plate Matias and Gil Zayas singled to right center to give St. John's runners on the corners with two outs. West Virginia went to the bullpen and brought in Billy Gross to get the final out of the inning.

West Virginia came right back, however, to take a 5-2 lead with four runs in the sixth. After Kuhn singled to lead off the inning, a pair of two out walks loaded the bases. Joe Agreste then took a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right field for a grand slam home run.

St. John's would continue to put pressure on the Mountaineers, but could not cut into the lead. The Red Storm, in fact, would leave two runners on base in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Red Storm reliever Luis Monell (3-1), though, kept West Virginia off the board as well with two scoreless innings of relief. Monell allowed just one base runner and had three strikeouts.

St. John's entered the ninth trailing 5-2, but with the heart of the order due up against closer Chris Enourato (5-1). Karmas led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Zayas followed with a hard single into center field that moved Karmas to third. Anninos then stepped to the plate and launched a three-run home run over the wall in left field to tie the game at 5-5. One out later, Del Rosario came to the plate. The lefty proceeded to turn on a fastball and blast the game-winning solo home run well over the wall in right field.

St. John's returns to action for a double header against Iona at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6.

Notes: Anninos is now tied for fifth all-time with 23 career home runs ... Anninos is tied for seventh all-time with 11 home runs in a single season ... St. John's has swept its past two series against West Virginia ... Karmas had his team-leading 16 th multi-hit game ... Del Rosario extended his hitting streak to a career-high nine games.