The spring season is officially in motion for the Red Storm, as teams have launched into Big East play. While some teams have experienced individual and team successes, others have been on the opposite end of the spectrum. The Johnnies have struggled overall in Big East competition — lacrosse and baseball are last in Big East Rankings, and softball is second from the bottom. 

However, hope is not completely lost for Red Storm fans: Women’s Tennis won its 10th consecutive match, defeating DePaul 5-2, reaching 10 straight wins for the first time since 2005, and lacrosse broke a program record in its face-off against Marquette.

Plagued by huge deficit losses throughout the season, both baseball and softball struggled this week against conference competition; while softball was able to win one game in their three-game series against Butler, baseball went 0-3 against Connecticut, losing by as many as 13 runs. 

Lacrosse’s Jonathan Huber Sets New Program Record for Goals Scored

Lacrosse — though boasting a measly 2-9 record — made history this week, as Jonathan Huber broke a program record for goals scored in a single game, per a press release. In an impressive display on Saturday, April 9, the attackman scored eight goals against Big East rival Marquette, which ended in a loss 23-13. Huber is now tied for most goals in a single game in the country this season.

Huber and Brian Kelly scored all 13 of the goals for the Johnnies against Marquette, hitting the mark on 22 shots attempted. 

Marquette’s freshman Bobby O’ Grady scored eight goals in the weekend matchup, leading the Golden Eagles to their easy victory. In an initial scoring drought, it was not until 12:52 remained in the half that the Johnnies managed to score, while Marquette had already scored 5 goals. The two teams scored a total of 36 goals, the most in a St. John’s game since an overtime win against Hofstra 19-18 in 2021. 

Huber has scored 33 goals this season so far, tied for third in the Big East. 11 of these goals have been in the last two outings. Due to his exemplary performance, Huber made the Big East Weekly Honor Roll, the second time this season and fourth of his career.  

Only three games are left in the Lacrosse regular season. Their next match-up is on April 16 against the University of Denver in Colorado, another Big East competitor.

Baseball Destroyed in Big East Opener By No. 25 Connecticut, Manages Win Versus Hofstra

Baseball fell in three games this week, continuing their losing streak in a dreadful season. Facing No. 25 Connecticut, the team went scoreless in two of the contests, losing 13-0 on April 9 and 10-0 on April 10. The first game of the series, on April 8, the Red Storm put up a stronger fight, but still fell 12-7. 

Notable moments in the series include Kevin Michaels hitting a grand slam — the second by a player this season — and pitcher Ben Adams allowing just one earned run in 3.1 innings pitched in the first game in the series. 

Following this rough display, the team turned around and beat Hofstra 6-4 on April 12, in a win that featured a strong pitching lineup to help the hitters secure the win. Every starter reached the base once for the Johnnies, and the first seven in the lineup reached at least twice. Pitcher Vincent Bianchi got the win — his first for the season — and pitched 3.1 hitless innings.

While the team is able to hold its own at Jack Kaiser Stadium — going 9-5 at home — they have so far been highly unsuccessful when not at their home field. With 17 away games on the season, they have won only two of these contests. 

St. John’s has only endured a losing season three times since World War II, including the recent 2020-21 season. With 22 games left in the season, it would require a complete turnaround for the program — which is currently 12-21 on the season — to not have a consecutive losing season.

Softball Struggles, Pulling One Win in A Lost Series Versus Butler

Against Big East rival Butler, Softball was able to clinch a win on the last day of their three-game series. In the series opener, on April 8, the Johnnies were destroyed 10-1. As per NCAA Division I rules, as they were down by more than eight or more runs in the fifth inning, the game only ran for five innings instead of the typical seven. 

The next game the following day, the Red Storm put up a stronger challenge to the Bulldogs. With timely hitting in the first inning, St. John’s scored two runs. Howevwe, they didn’t score for the rest of the game, and a single run inning in the first and a two-run home run in the fourth gave Butler the win, 3-2. 

The Red Storm finally turned the bats on in the third matchup of the series on April 12, winning 8-3. Junior Amy Mallah and freshman Anese Thompson were the stars at the plate. Mallah went 3-for-4, with a triple and four RBIs, while Thompson hit a three-run home run to propel the Red Storm to victory. On the mound, freshman Carolina Zamudio got her fourth win of the season, giving up only six hits after pitching the complete game.

Women’s Tennis Wins 10th Straight Match

In a 5-2 victory against DePaul, Women’s Tennis  claimed its 10th straight win. This impressive streak ties their longest since 2005, and places them atop the Big East. They hold a perfect 6-0 record in conference play, led by Jayden Neilsen, who got her 10th consecutive singles win. Yesica De Lucas also stood out this week in a straight set victory to complement Neilson’s win.

The Johnnies have one last chance in regular season play to extend their winning streak, playing Providence on Thursday, April 14.