By Dylan Butler
Dave Pizzini’s bases-loaded single with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning off St. John’s reliever Greg Holmes drove in Greg Fater, as Villanova snapped the Red Storm’s five-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Sunday at The Ballpark at St. John’s.
The Wildcats were listed as the home team because their field in Philadelphia was deemed unplayable after Friday’s inclement weather and the series was moved to Jamaica.
St. John’s (12-11, 6-4 Big East) trailed 2-0 heading into the top of the ninth, but rallied to tie the score on RBI-singles by Charlie Bilzeikjian and former St. Francis Prep standout J.P. Cirigliano. The Red Storm loaded the bases, but Wildcats reliever Adrian Schau struck out the final two batters of the inning to end the rally.
Villanova (10-13-1, 3-7 Big East) broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning on a two-run double down the left field line by Nick Piantek. Schau picked up the win in relief of Dan Farino, pitching 2/3 of an inning. Holmes dropped to 0-1, giving up three hits in 1.1 innings.
St. John’s also came from behind in the opener of the three-game set Saturday. Starter Geno Orsogna gave up a two-run home run in the first inning and another run in the third, but the Red Storm rallied to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the fourth inning.
St. John’s tied the game at 3 in the fifth when Cirigliano tripled to lead off the inning and scored on Billy Graiser’s double. Jason Kane went yard in the sixth inning to put St. John’s in front 4-3. The Red Storm added an insurance run in the seventh inning when Mike Rozema singled home Graiser.
Orsogna improved to 4-0, allowing eight hits in six innings. Holmes pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn his fourth save of the year. Bob Grzenda fell to 1-3 for Villanova.
In the nightcap, Cirigliano broke a scoreless tie with his first career home run in the fifth inning and junior hurler Marc Goldberg went the distance for the third time this year, striking out seven and giving up one earned run, as St. John’s won 2-1. Goldberg improved to 2-4 and lowered his team-leading earned run average to 2.31.
After non-conference midweek games against St. Peter’s and Stony Brook, the Red Storm returns to Big East play Saturday with a double header against Boston College at The Ballpark at St. John’s. First pitch is slated for noon.
Queens 14, Adelphi 13. Senior shortstop Pete Cavouto delivered the game-winning hit with a single in the bottom of the ninth as the Knights avoided a three-game sweep by New York Collegiate Athletic Conference foe Adelphi Monday in Garden City, L.I.
Queens (4-8-2, 3-4 NYCAC) led 10-3 after four innings and 12-6 after six, but the Panthers rallied with three runs in the seventh, two in the eighth and two more in the ninth to tie the score at 13.
Sophomore reliever Carl Waldheim picked up his first win of the year in 1.3 innings of work. Adelphi freshman Luis Ramos, Jr. suffered the loss.
Adelphi 5, Queens 4. Roberto Valdes and Carlos Cruz hit solo homers in the seventh inning to tie the game at 4, but Eric Pelkaus delivered the game-winning hit for Adelphi (9-10-1, 6-6) with an RBI-single in the eighth inning.
Adelphi 6, Queens 3. John Licata’s three-run home run snapped a 3-3 tie to lift the Panthers in the nightcap of the doubleheader.
Softball
St. John’s 3, Pittsburgh 2. Sophomore Courtney Fitzgerald from Bellerose went the distance, giving up six hits and two runs to earn the win in the opener of a double header at Pittsburgh Sunday. Tiffany Howerton led the Red Storm (14-19, 1-3 Big East) at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs.
Pittsburgh 4, St. John’s 0. Fitzgerald was back on the hill after freshman Kate Cucciniello was pulled after facing just six batters. The former Mary Louis standout gave up four runs on six hits with two strikeouts in the loss. St. John’s head coach Melody Cope was ejected after arguing balls and strikes in the fourth inning.
Notre Dame 8, St. John’s 0. The Red Storm fell to the 11th-ranked Fighting Irish in its Big East opener as Jennifer Sharron tossed her first-career no-hitter.
Notre Dame 1, St. John’s 0. Fitzgerald was solid again on the mound, allowing just one run on seven hits but the Red Storm struggled at the plate in the one-run loss in the nightcap of the double header in South Bend, Ind. Saturday.
Dowling 3, Queens 0. The Lady Knights (7-7, 3-1) managed just two hits in the front end of a double header last Thursday.
Queens 4, Dowling 3. Danielle Battaglia delivered the game-winning hit with an RBI-single in the bottom of the sixth to lift Queens to a one-run win in the nightcap.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledgr@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
