The Georgetown softball team (8-25, 1-4 Big East) went 1-2 in a series against St. John’s (10-19, 2-1 Big East) on Thursday and Friday. The Hoyas were led by freshman infielder Savannah Jones who had five RBIs and two hits, junior outfielder Mallory Belknap, who had three RBIs and five hits, and junior catcher Sarah Bennett, who had four RBIs and four hits over the three games.
The Hoyas won the first game 9-5. The Red Storm opened the scoring, as a wild pitch from sophomore pitcher Anna Brooks Pacha in the first inning gave St. John’s a 1-0 lead. In the third inning, The Red Storm added three more runs after an errant throw. Yet later in the third, the Hoyas loaded the bases, and freshman second baseman NeNe Campos took a walk to bring in the first run for the Hoyas. Two at bats later, Bennett hit a grand slam to put the Hoyas up 5-4. The Red Storm scored again in the fifth to tie the game at five, however in the bottom of the seventh, the Hoyas once again loaded the bases. With one out in the inning, Jones sent one over the fence for the 9-5 walkoff win. Pacha pitched all seven innings, allowing five hits and five runs.
In the second game of Thursday’s double header, the Red Storm bested the Hoyas 12-3 in five innings. The Red Storm were led by senior first baseman Krystal Puga and sophomore shortstop Laura Delgado, who each had three RBIs. St. John’s scored two runs in the top of second inning, however the Hoyas responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Jones was hit by a pitch to send a run in before Belknap doubled to add two more to the Hoyas total. That would be all for the day for Georgetown, as St. John’s added two in the fourth and eight in the fifth to invoke the NCAA mercy rule.
The teams completed the series on Friday, when St. John’s beat Georgetown 3-2. Pacha pitched for the second time in the series, only allowing three hits in seven innings. Jones collected an RBI in the first inning off of a double that she turned into a triple after a Red Storm error. In the second, Belknap drove in another run with a triple. In the third, senior infielder Hannah Anderson tagged up after a pop fly to put the Red Storm on the board. Then in the top of the sixth, a two-run homerun from sophomore utility player Marissa Rizzi gave St. John’s the lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Hoyas threatened, with runners on second and third, but were unable to convert, and eventually fell by one run.
The Hoyas play again on Wednesday against crosstown rivals George Washington (22-11, 2-4 A-10) before heading to Illinois for a series against DePaul (23-11, 6-0 Big East). For more recaps of softball and the other spring sports, follow @GUVoiceSports on Twitter.
