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Red Storm baseball routs Irish in Big East Tournament opener

The St. John's baseball team has had a lot of ups and downs this season. But they put that all behind them in their first game of the Big East Tournament as they routed Notre Dame 12-2 in seven innings.

The Red Storm (34-21) got off to a hot start against Irish starter, and basketball player, Pat Connaughton (4-4). The first eight batters of the game got on base for the Johnnies and they never looked back. Kyle Richardson got the game going for the Storm with a single and advanced to second base before Jimmy Brennan was able to knock him in with a double to get the scoring started.

Matt Wessinger followed suit with a single that set up runners on the corner. Frankie Schwindel then singled to score Brennan to make it a 2-0 lead. Jeremy Baltz singled in Wessinger to make it 3-0 before Sean O'Hare got plunked and loaded the bases.

After a brief visit to the mound by the Irish pitching coach, Connaughton walked Zack Lauricella to make it a 4-0 lead for the Johnnies. Danny Bathea would hook a double into the right field corner to stake the lead out to 6-0 before Connaughton was pulled before recording an out.

Donnie Hissa was the first reliever out of the pen for the Irish and finished the inning off with only giving up a sacrifice fly to Richardson, the man who started off the inning, at the end of one frame the Johnnies were up 7-0.

Meanwhile on the mound for the Johnnies was Matt Carasiti (5-5), who was terrific at times and baffling at times during the season. The former St. John's closer pitched six good innings while scattering nine hits, walking only one, and striking out four.

The Red Storm added five more insurance runs that were more than enough and cruised into the winners bracket. St. John's came in as co-regular season champions but were given the #2 seed after losing the season series 2-1 to Louisville.

The Johnnies will play in the next round Thursday afternoon at 1pm against Seton Hall, the defending Big East Tournament champions. The Storm lost two of three from the Pirates at home to end the season, ruining the Red Storm's shot at the undisputed league championship and #1 seed in the tournament.

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