MASON, Ohio – Making its first championship appearance since 2019, St. John’s electrified with a walk-off home run to advance to Thursday’s semifinal at the 2024 BIG EAST Baseball Championship Presented by Jeep.
 
After Georgetown tied the game in the top of the ninth, First Team All-BIG EAST catcher Jimmy Keenan called game with a walk-off home run to grant St. John’s an 11-9 victory.
 
After a pair of scoreless innings, it was the Hoyas that struck first in the top of the third when BIG EAST Player of the Year Christian Ficca earned an RBI with a fly out to right field, sending Michael Eze to home plate.
 
The Red Storm responded in the bottom of the third with a single up the middle by Blake Mayberry, scoring Jackson Tucker and Anthony Brienza for a 2-1 lead. St. John’s added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer by Luke Orbon.
 
The lead didn’t last long, as Kavi Caster hit his first homerun of the afternoon in the top of the fifth with a pair of runners on base, tying the score at 4-4.
 
In the bottom of the seventh, Tucker tripled down the left field line to break the tie, sending Orbon home, before Garrett Scavelli allowed Tucker to check up and reach the plate with a fly out to center field.
 
Down 4-6 in the top of the eighth, Caster once again stepped up to the plate for the Hoyas, this time with the bases loaded. On the second pitch the left fielder blasted one over the wall for a grand slam and seventh RBI of the outing.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, Ben Beachamp hit a three-run homer to retake the lead for the Johnnies, 9-8.
 
With the game on the line, Joe Hollerbach tied the game at 9-9 with a single through the left side, with Eze scoring his second run of the game.
 
With extra innings looming, Kennan called game in the bottom of the ninth with a walk off home run, leading St. John’s to an 11-9 victory. The walk-off homer is the first in the BIG EAST Baseball Championship since realignment.
 
The Red Storm will return to the field Thursday at night at 6:30 p.m. ET in the BIG EAST semifinal against the winner of Wednesday’s evening match between No. 1 seed UConn and No. 4 seed Xavier.
 
The Hoyas will play in an elimination game at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday.
 
All games will stream live on the BIG EAST Digital Network available on FloSports Presented by Invesco QQQ.