JAMAICA, N.Y. -- St. Johns scored six runs in the fourth inning and freshman R.J. LaSasso (Ft. Lee, N.J./St. Joseph-Montville) threw four-plus innings of solid relief as the Red Storm cruised past Pace, 11-3, in a college baseball game at The Ballpark on Wednesday evening. The win, St. Johns third in a row and 12 in the last 14 games, improves the team to 25-15 overall.

Pace jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first off of freshman starter Ryan Kyle (Springville, Md./Calvert Hall), but the Red Storm added three in the bottom of the second, six more in the fourth and two in the eighth en route to the win.

Kyle allowed a triple to Steve Martino on the first pitch of the game, and Keith Richardson followed with a run-scoring single, giving Pace a 1-0 lead. The freshman allowed another single, but settled down to retire the next five batters.

The Red Storm scored three times in the second, taking the lead for good. Junior J.P. Cirigliano (Flushing, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) was issued a one-out walk, and with two out, freshman Kevin Hughes (Staten Island, N.Y./Staten Island Tech) reached on an error. Sophomore catcher Asa Grunenwald (Boalsburg, Pa./State College Area) followed with a two-run triple to left, giving SJU a 2-1 lead. A double by junior Billy Graiser (Muttontown, N.Y./Miller Place) delivered Grunenwald home for a 3-1 margin.

A six-run fourth inning gave St. Johns a commanding 9-2 lead, putting the game away. With two out, Grunenwald singled to left-center, moved to second on a failed pickoff attempt and to third on a wild pitch. Graiser was hit by a pitch and junior Jason Fischette (Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond) singled, scoring Grunenwald. Junior Charlie Bilezikjian (Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond) singled to score Graiser and senior Eric Potts (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park) sent a two-run double down the left field line, giving St. Johns a 7-2 lead. Sophomore Chad Cambra (Taunton, Mass/Coyle & Cassidy) reached on an infield single and Cirigliano was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Junior Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) followed with a single to left, scoring Potts and Cambra to give SJU a 9-2 lead.

LaSasso relieved Kyle in the third and went 4.2 innings, allowing two unearned runs on four hits, walking one and striking out four, as he picked up his first collegiate win. Sophomore Henry Varum (Newark, N.J./Essex Catholic) threw the final two innings, striking out one and allowing only two hits.

Seven Red Storm players had at least two hits to lead the 11-run, 17-hit attack. Fischette went 3-for-4 with three singles, two runs scored, a stolen base and one RBI. Graiser added two singles, a stolen base, one run and one RBI. Bilezikjian hit a double, single, scored twice and drove in two runs, while Potts hit two doubles, drove in three runs and scored once. Cambra finished 2-for-4 with two singles and a run scored, while Kane hit two singles and drove in two runs and Grunenwald hit a triple, single, scored twice and drove in two runs.

St. Johns finishes up its non-league slate this week, hosting Wagner on Thursday at The Ballpark at 7 p.m. Following that game, the Red Storm will host a three-game series, beginning on Saturday, against No. 1 ranked Notre Dame. The Irish lead the BIG EAST with a 15-2 conference mark, while the Red Storm stand in second place at 13-7. Saturdays doubleheader begins at noon, and a single game will be played on Sunday, beginning at noon.