CINCINNATI (Interstat) — Cristian Bernardini’s three-run home run in the top of the 11th inning broke a 5-5 tie and lifted St. John’s to an 8-6 victory over Xavier on Saturday afternoon at Marge Schott Stadium, giving the Red Storm their second straight win in the Big East series.

The game, which stretched 11 innings, saw St. John’s outhit Xavier 19-11. The Red Storm improved to 23-19 overall, while the Musketeers fell to 19-25.

Bernardini, the Red Storm’s right fielder, finished 3 for 6 with the homer and three RBIs, including the go-ahead blast that scored Will Cowan and Ayden Frey. Cowan, the designated hitter, went 2 for 5 with a two-run homer in the seventh inning that helped St. John’s cut into an early deficit. Frey, the second baseman, was 3 for 5 with an RBI.

Xavier third baseman Luke Hammond had a standout performance, going 3 for 5 with a two-run homer in the second inning and an RBI single in the third, totaling three RBIs. First baseman Josh Stonehouse added a solo homer in the third and a sacrifice fly in the 11th.

The Musketeers jumped to a 5-1 lead after three innings. Hammond’s second-inning homer, a two-run shot to right field, and an RBI single by Jorge Valdes gave Xavier a 3-0 edge. Stonehouse’s solo homer in the third made it 4-1, and Hammond’s run-scoring single pushed the lead to 5-1.

St. John’s began chipping away. In the third, Jayder Raifs singled through the right side to drive in Lewis Rodriguez. Then in the seventh, Adam Agresti singled to shortstop to score Raifs, and Cowan followed with a two-run homer to left field, pulling the Red Storm within 5-4.

The Red Storm tied the game in the top of the ninth. With two outs, Frey singled to left field to drive in pinch runner Dylan Fitz, making it 5-5.

Both teams went scoreless in the 10th before St. John’s erupted in the 11th. Cowan led off with a single, Frey doubled to left center, and Bernardini crushed a 3-2 pitch to right center for a three-run homer that put St. John’s ahead 8-5.

Xavier answered in the bottom half. After a walk to Canterberry, Valdes doubled to right center, and Stonehouse’s sacrifice fly to center scored one run, but the Musketeers could not bring the tying run home.

St. John’s relief pitcher Jack Nestler earned top star honors with a dominant performance. He entered in the third inning with his team trailing 5-1 and threw 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing no hits and striking out five. Nestler, who had struggled in his previous two outings, retired the first 10 batters he faced and did not allow a baserunner until the seventh. Dylan Johnson added 1 1/3 hitless innings with one strikeout, and Thomas Harding tossed a scoreless ninth with two strikeouts.

Xavier starter Ashton Chronister worked six innings, allowing seven hits and one earned run with two strikeouts. The Musketeers’ bullpen faltered late, surrendering four runs over the final three innings.

The game marked the second of a three-game series, following St. John’s 12-7 win Friday. The teams conclude the series Sunday.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of St. John’s 8, Xavier 7, while its ELO system gave Xavier a 54.40 percent probability to win.