Published: March 03, 2007
BEAUMONT, Texas
The St. John's baseball team (1-7) got into the win column on
Saturday night, using a 16-hit outburst to defeat California Santa
Barbara (3-7), 9-6, in its second game at the Lamar Classic.
Anthony Smith homered and drove in three runs, and shortstop
Daniel Rose went a perfect 4-for-4 to lead the offense and help
starting pitcher
Scott Barnes pick up the team's first win of the season.
Smith had three hits for the night, including his second long
ball of the season, and added to his team-leading RBI total with
his ninth of the season. Rose, who entered the night as the team's
top hitter, hit hard singles in each of his four at-bats, drove in
a run and scored a run. Seniors
Sam DeLuca (2-for-5, two runs),
Chris Joachim (2-for-4, stolen base, RBI, two runs) and
Brendan Monaghan (2-for-3, RBI, run) all collected two hits in
the effort.
Barnes struck out nine batters in five-plus innings of work and
allowed three runs on six hits and two walks. The sophomore threw
69 of his 106 pitches for strikes before being relieved by
Colin Lynch in the sixth inning. Lynch allowed one run and
struck out three in three solid innings of relief, and
Justin Gutsie worked the ninth inning to seal the win.
The Red Storm got things rolling early, using three two-out base
hits to push two runs across in the top of the first inning. DeLuca
ripped the first of his two singles into the left-center field gap
to get the rally started, and Joachim followed with his first
double of the year to plate DeLuca with the game's first run. Smith
then scored Joachim with a single up the middle to give St. John's
a 2-0 lead.
UCSB worked out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the second and
fourth innings, but the Red Storm added two more in the third to
open up a 4-0 lead. A bunt single by Joachim led to the first run
of the inning, as Gaucho third baseman Robby Cummings made an
errant throw to first base that allowed DeLuca to score and Joachim
to advance to second. Smith again plated Joachim, this time with a
groundout to second base.
The Gauchos scored their first run of the game in the bottom of
the fourth on an RBI single by catcher Matt Anderson and added
another in the fifth on an infield single by Robbie Blauer. In
between the UCSB scoring innings, Smith ripped his second home run
of the season to right field, giving the Red Storm a 5-2 advantage
through five complete innings.
The teams traded runs again in the sixth and seventh innings,
and the Red Storm stretched its lead to 9-4 with a three-run
seventh.
Gil Zayas hit an RBI double, and Monaghan and Rose ripped RBI
singles in helping St. John's open up a five-run lead.
UCSB chased the starter Barnes in the sixth as part of a run of
four straight scoring innings. Lynch worked out of a jam in the
sixth and logged three innings of relief to close the game and help
the Red Storm snap a seven-game losing streak.
St. John's wraps up action at the Lamar Classic on Sunday with a
3 p.m. (4 p.m. EST) contest against the host Cardinals. Sophomore
RHP
Jared Yecker (0-2, 1.86 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Red
Storm and face Lamar RHP Matt Morgal (1-1, 13.50 ERA).