The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

The Independent Student Newspaper of St. John's University

The Torch

Softball drops sets to Louisville and USF

After ringing off five wins in as many days last week, St. John’s softball went winless this weekend with consecutive doubleheader losses to two Big East powerhouses in South Florida and Louisville.

“We had a tough stretch, but our kids have kept a good perspective on it,” said St. John’s head coach Amy Kvilhaug. “We played well, but we just couldn’t close the door.”
But despite their opponents’ records and reputations, St. John’s put up a fight, managing to finish only one run behind the competition in the three of the
four games.

“To be successful we need four things: good pitching, execution, good defense and timely hitting,” Kvilhaug said. “We took a lot of positive out of these games because we gained key experience against two great teams.”

In game one on Sunday St. John’s gave up an early run to Louisville, to put the Cardinals ahead 1-0 in the bottom of the third inning.

The Red Storm showed signs of life at the top of the seventh when freshman Kacee Cox singled to leftfield. Pinch runner Melissa Pilley, who ran for Cox, reached scoring position after junior Roxy Struble’s sacrifice bunt. St. John’s sophomore Brandy Reyes singled down the third baseline as Pilley touched third and headed home. But a strong throw to home plate beat Pilley.

St. John’s two runs in the second game again left it one short of taking Louisville on the road. Louisville’s run in the bottom of the third and a fourth inning score by St. John’s senior Danielle Estrada. The game stayed at a 2-2 until the bottom of the seventh, when Wherry hit her second RBI double to centerfield and scored Chelsea Bemis.

“Both games were really well played,” Cox said. “It was almost a pitcher’s duel, [but] they had one more hit than us.”

When St. John’s played South Florida Friday for game one in Tampa, neither team scored any runs until the bottom of the fifth inning. The Bulls were the first to post a run on the board when Kit Dunbar advanced to home plate leaving behind two runners on base before the inning came to a close.

The Red Storm responded with their first run on the scoreboard at the top of the sixth when sophomore Shauntaine Harris doubled to leftfield and stole third base. Harris scored an unearned run on a passed ball.

But it was another run in the bottom of the seventh that did in the Storm in Tampa; this one, a centerfield homerun from Jojo Medina.

Game two against the Bulls was over before it began. St. John’s performance was not the kind of game it was expecting to bring after going one down in the series hours before. USF was able to match eight team hits with eight runs.

South Florida crushed St. John’s in the bottom of the third inning, scoring four runs in that frame alone. By the close of the third, the Red Storm was trailing the Bulls 6-0. St. John’s tried to get the ball rolling at the top of the fourth, mustering a way to get the bases loaded. But a strikeout by Harris sent the players back on defense.

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