By Marc Raimondi
The most common feeling in the St. John's dugout had to be frustration. The Red Storm had left two runners on in each of the sixth, seventh and eighth innings and left 12 runners total stranded for the game. They were about to let another team off the hook without a completing a three-game sweep.
But in the ninth inning, everything changed. After Paul Karmas doubled and Gil Zayas singled, Chris Anninos hit a game-tying, three-run home run to left-center field off West Virginia closer Chris Enourato. Two batters later, Carlos Del Rosario crushed a solo homer that left Jack Kaiser Stadium and St. John's had a 6-5, walk-off victory Sunday afternoon.
“You don't often see that,” St. John's coach Ed Blankmeyer said. “That, to me, is a crushing defeat.”
St. John's (35-10, 16-5 Big East) swept its first series since its conference opener against Rutgers. The Red Storm are in sole possession of first place and, with the win, jump into the No. 21 spot in the Baseball America national poll.
St. John's 10, West Virginia 3. Red Storm starter George Brown gave up three runs on six hits in seven innings to notch his Big East-best ninth win of the season.
Third baseman Greg Hopkins was 5-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
St. John's 2, West Virginia 1. Tom La Stella's pinch-hit sacrifice fly ended it in the 10th. SJU starter Scott Barnes gave up one run on five hits and struck out 12 in 6 1/3 innings.
