Baseball Splits Doubleheader Behind Reilly
4/12/2001 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SOUTH ORANGE, NJ (April 12, 2001) - Sophomore Chris Reilly (Bound Brook, NJ) and junior Isaac Pavlik (Rutherford, NJ) combined on a five-hitter to lead Seton Hall to a 3-2 win over Connecticut in the first game of a BIG EAST doubleheader. Chris DeBrisco tossed a three-hitter over eight innings to help UConn to a 9-4 win in the second game on Thursday at Owen T. Carroll Field.
Seton Hall now stands at 19-15 overall and 9-6 in BIG EAST play. Connecticut, which had its six-game winning streak snapped in the opener, is 16-15 overall and 10-5 in the conference.
In the opener, Seton Hall had just two hits, but scored three unearned runs off UConn starter Patrick Sperone (5-2).
Junior second baseman Josh Schuck (Edison, NJ) came home on a passed ball with two out in the bottom of the fifth to put the Pirates ahead 3-2. Schuck walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a single by junior shortstop Chris Carter (Fair Haven, NJ). Sophomore third baseman Joe Scott (Old Tappan, NJ) sacrificed the runners over. After Sperone struck out Joe Cuervo for the second out of the inning, Schuck scored the deciding run when a Sperone pitch got by UConn catcher Mike Leonard.
Connecticut threatened in the top of the seventh when third baseman Dan Trubia led off with a double to the left-centerfield gap off Seton Hall starter Chris Reilly (4-1). But Pavlik struck out Leonard and pinch hitter Ryan Treat before retiring Mike Scott on a groudout to first to earn his fifth save of the season.
Seton Hall twice battled back from one-run deficits. UConn took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on first baseman Jon Gorrie's solo home run to center. The Pirates answered in the bottom of the first. Cuervo was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. He advanced to second on a passed ball and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by junior centerfielder Mike Bascom (Ocean Township, NJ). Sophomore leftfielder Casey Grimm (Morristown, NJ) followed with an RBI groundout to shortstop, scoring Cuervo to make it 1-1.
UConn reclaimed the lead, 2-1, in the top of the third as Mike Scott connected for a solo home run to right. But Seton Hall took advantage of a pair of Connecticut miscues and answered in the bottom half of the inning. Joe Scott reached on a one-out error by shortstop Joe Kagerer. He then stole second went to third as Leonard's throw went into centerfield. Cuervo followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Scott to tie the game at 2-2.
Reilly, who earned his fourth BIG EAST victory of the season, yielded just one hit over the next three innings. He finished with six strikeouts while walking just two.
In the second game, Seton Hall held a 3-1 lead following Chris Carter's two-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning.
UConn closed to within 3-2 when Dan Trubia scored on a wild pitch in the top of the fifth. The Huskies claimed the lead in the top of the seventh, scoring three unearned runs off Seton Hall starter B.J. Benik (2-5). Joe Kagerer reached on an error by third baseman Joe Scott to open the inning. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brian Tisbert and advanced to third on Trubia's groundout to first. Rightfielder Russ D'Argento drove in the tying run when he singled to deep shortstop. Catcher Tyler Stefkovich gave the Huskies the lead when his double down the leftfield line scored D'Argento from first. Mike Scott followed with a single through the right side off reliever Mike Wren, scoring Stefkovich for a 5-3 Connecticut lead.
UConn added to its lead with three runs in the eighth and one in the ninth. D'Argento added an RBI single in the eighth and Soteropoulos, who went 4-for-5, contributed an RBI single in the ninth.
Connecticut starter Chris DeBrisco (3-2) gave up just three hits and two earned runs in eight innings of work. He struck out three and walked just one. Benik turned in a solid outing for the Pirates, giving up just two earned runs in 6.2 innings. He struck out four.
Seton Hall had just six hits on the afternoon with Grimm and Carter finishing with two hits each.
The Pirates return to action on Saturday, April 14 when they host Virginia Tech in a BIG EAST doubleheader beginning at noon.
