JAMAICA, N.Y. -- The St. Johns University baseball team scored six runs in the first inning, pounded two pitchers for 15 hits and took advantage of eight errors, hanging on for a 14-9 win over city rival Columbia on Monday night at The Ballpark. The win ends a three-game losing streak for St. Johns, who improves to 27-18 overall. Freshman R.J. LaSasso (Ft. Lee, N.J./St. Joes-Montville) picked up his second win in as many outings, throwing 4.1 innings and allowing one run on three hits, walking one batter and striking out four. He improves to 2-0 with the win.

The Red Storm jumped all over Columbia starter Ryan Kiernan, scoring six runs. Junior J.P. Cirigliano (Flushing, N.Y./St. Francis Prep) started the rally with a single up the middle and then stole second before junior Charlie Bilezikjian (Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond) walked. Senior Chris Fallon (Bayonne, N.J./Bayonne) delivered a single to right, scoring Cirigliano. After Fallon stole second, a throwing error allowed Bilezikjian to score. A walk to senior Eric Potts (Little Ferry, N.J./Ridgefield Park) put runners on the corners and junior Jason Kane (Rutherford, N.J./Rutherford) hit a run-scoring double to make it 3-0. A wild pitch allowed Potts to score and junior Billy Graiser (Muttontown, N.Y./Miller Place) reached on an error, allowing Kane to score. Graiser stole second and then came home on an RBI double from freshman Mike Rozema (Fair Lawn, N.J./Fair Lawn), giving St. Johns a 6-0 lead.

The Lions, however, touched St. Johns freshman starter Ryan Kyle (Kingsville, Md./Calvert Hall) for five runs on six hits, highlighted by Matt Buckmillers two-run triple to right, to narrow the gap.

In the third, Rozema was issued a leadoff walk and moved to third when freshman outfielder Anthony DeRosa (Salem, N.H./Salem) singled and advanced to second. Freshman Josh Stewart (Bloomsburg, Pa./Bloomsburg Area) grounded out and drove in Rozema. Cirigliano singled and stole second to put runners on second and third for Fallon, who reached on an error, allowing both runners to score.

Columbia scored three more times off of Kyle in the fourth, with William Hess driving in a run with a double, and cut the gap to one run again, 9-8. St. Johns took a 10-8 lead in the bottom of the inning when junior Bryan Hedgecock (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) reached on a bunt single, moved to second on an error and eventually scored when Cirigliano hit a bases-loaded single to third.

After a pair of scoreless innings, the Lions scored in the top of the seventh, cutting the gap to 10-9, but the Red Storm added three runs in the bottom of the seventh, and one more in the eighth for the final margin. In the seventh, Cirigliano walked, moved to second on an error and to third on a sacrifice bunt. After Fallon was intentionally walked, he stole second and Kane was intentionally walked to load the bases with two out. Hedgecock was hit by a pitch, scoring Cirigliano and Rozema squeezed an infield single on the right side, allowing two runs to score and giving SJU a 13-9 lead. In the eighth, Cirigliano walked, moved to third on a single by sophomore Chad Cambra (Taunton, Mass./Coyle & Cassidy) and scored on an error.

Cirigliano led the offense, going 3-for-4 with three singles, two walks, four runs scored and one RBI, while Rozema went 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, one run scored and three RBI. Fallon hit two singles, scored twice and drove in a run and Kane went 3-for-4 with a double, two singles, two runs scored, one stolen base and one RBI.

The Red Storm host Fairfield on Tuesday at 3 p.m.