The two-headed pitching monster that is St. John’s softball was brilliant over the weekend leading the Red Storm to a championship at the Longwood Leadoff Classic.
The trip down to Virginia was solid for the whole St. John’s team as they went 3-1 overall and defeated host Longwood University in the championship game. In the bigger picture, the Red Storm now have two aces of their incredible pitching staff.
Sophomore studs Kat Lawrence and Linzee Sumrall dazzled hitters’ bats all weekend long culminating in a two-hit, no run, nine strikeout performance by Sumrall in the championship game against the Lancers.
As a staff, Sumrall and Lawrence allowed 10 hits, three runs and struck out 35 batters in 26 innings of work at the classic. Sumrall didn’t give up a run in her two starts and recorded a career-high 13 strikeouts in St. John’s 5-0 victory against Bucknell on Saturday.
Sumrall’s record now stands at 3-1 to go along with a miniscule 1.06 ERA. On top of that, she has struck out 35 batters in just 26.1 innings pitched.
Lawrence is 3-2 and sports a solid 2.66 ERA. She too is bringing the heat as she has fanned 36 batters in 29 innings pitched.
Offense was the problem in the first game for the Red Storm as they fell 2-1 to Longwood despite Lawrence’s valiant effort.
Game two was a different story for St. John’s as senior first baseman Roxy Strubble got the offense started right away belting her second home run of the season in the bottom half of the first inning. She continued her run producing ways in the bottom of the fifth with a two-out, bases-loaded single up the middle plating two and giving the Red Storm a 4-0 lead. St. John’s added one more run and defeated Bucknell 5-0.
The second day of the classic proved to be successful for the Red Storm as they went 2-0 and run-ruled Longwood in the championship game 8-0.
RBIs by Chelsea Durning and Julia Sanchez, parlayed with a lights out pitching performance by Lawrence gave St. John’s a 3-1 victory over Quinnipiac in the first game.
The championship was nothing like the first matchup between the Red Storm and the Lancers. Led by a dominant performance by Sumrall, St. John’s blew out the home team in the finale.
Strubble finished the tournament with six RBIs.
