Jamaica, N.Y.  Head coach Melody Cope earned her 100th career win at St. Johns with a doubleheader sweep of Fairleigh Dickinson this afternoon at Red Storm Field. Senior Courtney Fitzgerald (Bellerose, N.Y.) threw a one-hit shutout in the game one to lead the Red Storm to a 6-0 win over Fairleigh Dickinson (5-19, 3-9 NEC). The Red Storm (21-21, 6-6 BIG EAST) offense produced 11 runs in game two and sophomore Meghan Allman (San Diego, Calif.) pitched a three-hit shutout to secure the sweep for St. Johns.

Fitzgerald (17-14) did not allow a hit until the top of the seventh inning when FDU put down a bunt for an infield single. She faced just two batters over the minimum, hitting one batter and giving up the one hit. Fitzgerald picked up the shutout victory for the Red Storm, going the distance allowing one hit while striking out six and walking none.

The first game remained scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when senior Jessica Shepherd (Akron, Ohio) reached on an error by FDUs pitcher, scoring freshmen Jessica Marical (Stanton, Calif.) and Carrie Kester (Farmington, N.M.) for the first runs of the game.

St. Johns struck again in the fourth inning tallying three runs on three hits. A groundout by Kester sent sophomore Allina Sainz (San Diego, Calif.) home from third after she led off the inning with a single on a hit that ricocheted off the pitcher. With runners on second and third, senior Jessica Cameron (Girard, Ohio) dropped a hit just inside the right field line, driving in sophomore Jillian Sandoval (Orange, Calif.) and freshman Jo Sherlock (San Diego, Calif.).

The Red Storm tacked on another run in the fifth inning on a solo homerun by Sainz, her fourth of the year. Sainz was 2-for-3 in the game with one RBI and two runs scored. Kester had a 1-for-2 day with one RBI and a run scored. Cameron had two RBI and one hit in the game for St. Johns.

In the nightcap, the Red Storm offense got started in the bottom of the first with four hits. Sandoval sent an RBI single to centerfield to drive in Shepherd, who reached on a bunt single to give St. Johns the early 1-0 lead.

In the second inning, St. Johns sent 11 batters to the plate and exploded for six runs on five hits and three errors. Sherlock led off the inning with her first career homerun, a solo shot over the right field fence. Freshman Megan Oliver (Endicott, N.Y.) doubled to the gap in left field, bringing Marical and Cameron around from second and third. Sainz and Sandoval hit consecutive RBI singles to put the Red Storm up 6-0. Sherlock came to bat for the second time in the inning, reaching on a muffed throw by FDUs second baseman and allowing Sainz to come around and score. SJU held a 7-0 advantage at the end of two innings.

The Red Storm added two more runs in the third, on a two-out two RBI double to the leftfield wall by senior Alesha Argeras (Warren, Ohio). Oliver and Shepherd produced two singles to put runners on first and second for Argeras.

Sherlock continued her strong day at the plate with a double to centerfield in the bottom of the fourth inning. Marical singled to short centerfield and freshman Blair Belloni (Newport, Ore.) reached on a throwing error to load the bases for Oliver. Oliver came up big once again, singling up the middle to drive in two more runs for the Red Storm.

Allman went the distance for the Red Storm, her first complete game of the year. Allman (4-2) pitched five innings, allowing just three hits, with six strikeouts, while walking two.

The St. Johns softball team returns to action on Saturday, April 19, when they host Seton Hall in a doubleheader, beginning at noon.