The Georgetown softball team (17-15, 7-2 Big East) lost its first Big East series of the season as it dropped two of three in its weekend series against St. John’s (17-18, 3-5 Big East).

Saturday’s doubleheader featured two very different games. After strong pitching led the Hoyas in their 1-0, 10-inning walk-off win, the staff struggled in the second game, losing 12-2 in a shortened six innings.

Junior starting pitcher Lauren O’Leary limited St. John’s to two hits over 10 innings for her 11th complete game and third shutout of the season. She struck out five and walked three.

“Lauren threw a fantastic game on Saturday against a very good St. John’s offense,” Head Coach Pat Conlan said. “Lauren is an excellent pitcher. She did a great job executing her spins and location, and our defense played fantastically behind her.”

St. John’s sophomore pitcher Tori Free also had a strong game from the circle, striking out 10 and giving up seven hits before allowing the game-winning hit in the bottom of the 10th. She threw 198 pitches.

The Hoyas had their chances to take a lead early in the game, but they left the bases loaded twice. Overall, they left 14 players on base as opposed to just four for the Red Storm.

“On Saturday, we had plenty of opportunities to score runs,” Conlan said. “We were getting runners in scoring position, but we just couldn’t get the big hit, and when we did, St. John’s came up with big plays on defense.”

In the bottom of the 10th, senior outfielder Alexandria Anttila led off with a walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Freshman Hannah Ramsey pinch ran for her, and then sophomore infielder Taylor Henry singled, putting runners at the corners. Finally, freshman catcher Gabriela Elvina hit a sacrifice fly to center, which scored the game-ending run.

Game two proved to be different from the opener. St. John’s would rack up 16 hits, 10 more than Georgetown.

“St. John’s had one of the toughest two-three-four batters that we have faced all year,” Conlan said. “I give them all the credit because they hit everything we tried to throw at them.”

Junior pitcher Megan Hyson, sixth in the Big East in ERA, gave up eight runs — seven earned — over her four innings on the mound. O’Leary relieved her in the fifth and gave up four earned runs of her own on seven hits.

Georgetown took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but these would be the last runs it would score. In the third inning, St. John’s hit a game-tying two-run home run. It would add two more in the fourth and then four in each of the fifth and sixth innings, ending the game early by way of the mercy rule.

Although the Hoyas only lost by three runs on Sunday, they did not play much better. The Red Storm beat the Hoyas 9-6 after rocking the pitching staff once again.

O’Leary started the game and allowed seven earned runs on nine hits through the first four innings. Hyson finished the last three innings, giving up two on four hits. They each struck out four.

The Hoyas took the lead in the bottom of the first on a two-run home run by senior second baseman Hannah Slovacek. But the Red Storm tied it up with two solo home runs in the top of the second.

After the Hoyas scored a run in the bottom of the second, St. John’s regained the lead in the top of the third, scoring three runs to take a 5-3 lead. It then scored four in the top of the fifth, extending its lead to 9-3. Georgetown, however, was able to put itself back in the game by scoring three in the bottom of the inning.

In the fifth inning, the Hoyas were within striking distance, trailing 9-6. But St. John’s held Georgetown scoreless in the last two innings to win the game.

“Some games the pitching is better than the hitters, and in others the hitters are better than the pitching,” Conlan said of the high-scoring game. “I think we experienced a great deal of offense from both teams on Sunday, and the pitching for either team wasn’t as effective as it needs to be. “

This is the first series loss the Hoyas have suffered this season.

“We need to regroup as a team and get back to winning ways and winning habits,” Conlan said. “I think it is important to play midweek because our hitters get an opportunity to see live pitching, and the pitching and defense stay sharp.”

The Blue and Gray will play the University of Maryland at Baltimore County in Baltimore on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. and then Drexel in Philadelphia on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. The team will then return to Big East play with a three-game series against DePaul this weekend in Chicago.