April 16, 2005
Game 1 Box Score (St. John's 9, Rutgers 1)
Piscataway, NJ - The St. John's University softball team exploded for 18 runs and 25 hits this afternoon on its way to a sweep at Rutgers, its first doubleheader sweep of the season. Behind seven first inning runs, the Red Storm took game one, 9-0 in five innings and followed that up with a 9-3 victory in the finale. The combined 18 runs were the most in a BIG EAST twinbill since April 24, 1999, when they scored 24 runs in a split with Rutgers. St. John's is now 17-22-1 overall and evened its record at 4-4 in the league, while the Scarlet Knights are 3-31 and 1-7 in the league. In game one, the Red Storm quickly put the game away as they batted around and scored seven runs in the top of the first inning. With the bases loaded and one out, senior Allina Sainz (San Diego, CA) began the scoring with a RBI single through the middle. Classmate Jillian Sandoval (Orange, CA) followed by bouncing a ball to third base, but sophomore Tami Hill (San Diego, CA) beat the throw home, keeping the bases loaded and making the score 2-0. The lead expanded to 4-0 as sophomore Christina Tucker (San Diego, CA) drove home two runs with a hard single up the middle. Junior Leigh Carlson (Howland, OH) capped off the scoring with a three-run home to deep center, her first of the season, providing St. John's with a 7-0 cushion. St. John's starter Lisa Geer (Anaheim, CA) escaped trouble in both the third and fourth innings as she left runners in scoring position both times. The Scarlet Knights loaded the bases with only one out in the bottom of the third, but starter Geer left them there on two great plays by shortstop Danielle Estrada (Moreno Valley, CA). In the fourth, Rutgers had runners on second and third with one out, but Geer got a pop-out and a strikeout to end the threat.
Rutgers kept the Red Storm off the board until the top of the fifth, when they added two runs for the 9-0 final. After an error extended the inning, Estrada singled through the middle and Hill tripled to deep left center, scoring both Hill and junior Megan Oliver (Endicott, NY), who had reached on the error. Geer closed out the Scarlet Knights in the bottom of the fifth, picking up first career BIG EAST win and her fourth win of the season. She allowed only three hits, yet walked three, while striking out five in the game one shutout. St. John's again jumped ahead early in game two, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. With one out, Estrada singled and Hill doubled to place runners at second and third. A RBI groundout by junior Jo Sherlock (San Diego, CA) and a runs producing single through the left side by Sainz accounted for the two runs. The Red Storm added two more runs in the top of the second inning, expanding their lead to 4-0. Singles by junior Jessica Marical (Stanton, CA) and Oliver and a wild pitch placed runners at second and third with two out. Hill came through in the clutch, singling to center, scoring both runs. Rutgers got on the board for the first time on the afternoon, when Jenny Card took the first pitch of the bottom of the second inning over the centerfield fence, cutting the St. John's lead to 4-1. In the top of the third, St. John's took advantage of a Scarlet Knight error to score another run, increasing the lead back to four at 5-1. With runners on first and second, Carlson grounded to shortstop, the throw went to third and got away, allowing Sainz, who led off the inning with a walk, to come home. In the bottom of the fifth, the Scarlet Knights cut the deficit to 5-3, as they posted two runs and knocked out game two starter Brittany Crouch (Irvine, CA). With the bases loaded and one out, Geer came in to relief Crouch. She unleashed a wild pitch to score the first run and followed by allowing a double into the right centerfield gap. However, on the play, the Rutgers runners on second and third crossed paths, causing an out and only one run to score. The Red Storm quickly widened its lead in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three runs and taking an 8-3 lead. After a leadoff single by Oliver and a sacrifice bunt by Estrada, Hill and Sherlock hit back-to-back RBI doubles. Two batters later, Sandoval dropped a single into right field to score Sherlock. Carlson added to the lead with a solo home run to deep center to lead off the inning, her second of the day and the season. Crouch went the first 4.1 innings for her team-high sixth win of the season. She allowed three runs on only one hit, but four walks, while also striking out four. Geer finished the game for her third save, going the final 2.2 innings, holding the Scarlet Knights scoreless on a hit and a walk, while striking out four. Every St. John's member of the starting lineup had at least one run and one hit on the afternoon. Hill led the Red Storm offense, going 5-for-7 with two doubles, a triple, three runs scored and five RBI. Sainz collected four hits, while Marical, Oliver and Sandoval had three apiece. The Red Storm remain on the road, as they travel onto Villanova tomorrow, to take on the Wildcats in a BIG EAST doubleheader beginning at noon. |
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