Published: March 09, 2007
LAKE CHARLES, La.
The St. John's baseball team (4-8) crossed the plate nine times
in the second inning and never looked back, evening the series with
McNeese State (3-15) with an 11-5 victory on Friday night. The big
bats of
Ryan Mahoney, who homered for the fourth straight game, and
Gil Zayas, who drove in a career-high four runs, helped the
team rebound from a series-opening loss and score in double figures
for the second time in four games.
The Red Storm swiftly overcame a three-run first-inning deficit
with its biggest scoring inning of the season in the second. Zayas
collected all of his game-high four RBI in the inning, and Mahoney
delivered a big blow with a three-run homer – his fourth in four
games and fifth in the last six. For the day, Zayas went 4-for-5 at
the plate and scored two runs, while
Michael Aicardi (2-for-4, RBI),
Sam DeLuca (2-for-5, run) and
Chris Joachim (2-for-6, two RBI, stolen base) added two hits
apiece.
Ryan Cole picked up the win in relief of starter
Scott Barnes, shutting the Cowboys down over his 5.1 innings of
work. The rookie allowed just two hits, struck out five hitters and
threw 45 of his 63 pitches for strikes. Barnes struck out seven
hitters, but allowed 11 hits and four runs and threw 102 pitches in
a 3.2-inning no-decision.
For the second straight game, McNeese State scored three runs in
the first inning to gain the upper hand early. Barnes retired the
first two batters he faced by strikeout, but then allowed singles
to Charlie Kingrey, Bryan Cartie and Joe Hulett to score the first
run of the game. A walk to Brad Becker loaded the bases, and Taylor
Faul plated two with a single into right-center field.
St. John's put nine runs across to overcome the early deficit in
a big way. Mahoney capped a seven-hit inning with a three-run homer
to right-center, and Zayas hit a two-run single and a two-run
double as the team batted around.
Both teams' pitchers gained control of the game after the early
offensive display, as the teams traded runs in the fifth and the
Red Storm tacked on a run in the sixth. Cole entered the game with
two outs and two runners on base in the fourth and held the Cowboys
scoreless over the next five innings.
St. John's scored its last two runs on an RBI fielder's choice
by Joachim in the fifth and on a single and Aicardi's first career
RBI in the sixth.
The teams conclude the three-game series on Saturday with a 1
p.m. contest at Cowboy Diamond. St. John's sophomore RHP
Jared Yecker (1-2, 2.16 ERA) is scheduled to start, while
McNeese State's starting pitcher is TBA.