Cuervo Leads Baseball In 14-5 Romp Over Hofstra

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, NY (April 5, 2001) - Senior rightfielder Joe Cuervo (Warren, NJ) went 4-for-6 with a home run and three runs batted in to lead Seton Hall to a 14-5 win over Hofstra at University Field.

Seton Hall (14-14) never trailed in the game. Cuervo single to rightfield to lead off the first inning. He stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball. After junior centerfielder Mike Bascom (Ocean Township, NJ) drew a walk, sophomore leftfielder Casey Grimm (Morristown, NJ) grounded to first, scoring Cuervo with the first run. Bascom later scored on senior catcher Adam Arslanian's (Fair Lawn, NJ) groundout to short, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, Seton Hall loaded the bases on a walk to Bascom, a single by Grimm and a walk to senior first baseman Brian Leighton (Brewster, NY). Arslanian plated Bascom with a fielders choice groundout. Designated hitter Kevin Leighton again loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Junior second baseman Josh Schuck (Edison, NJ) then drove in Grimm with a single to center. Arslanian scored on a sacrifice fly by junior shortstop Chris Carter (Fair Haven, NJ), putting the Pirates ahead 5-0.

Hofstra trimmed the lead to 5-1 when Ed Cook scored on an error in the bottom of the third, but Cuervo answered with a solo home run leading off the top of the fourth.

Brian Leighton, who went 3-for-5, added an RBI single in the fourth and a two-run home run to right-center in the top of the sixth. Cuervo added a two-run single in the Pirates' five-run eighth inning.

Senior right-hander Mike Wren (Montvale, NJ) worked into the sixth inning to pick up the win for Seton Hall. Wren allowed just three hits through the first five innings, but gave up a solo home run to Adam Russ and a two-run homer to Michael Meittinis in the sixth. Sophomore left-hander Buddy Hausmann (Colts Neck, NJ) and sophomore right-hander Joe Scott (Old Tappan, NJ) combined to pitch 3.2 innings of hitless relief. Scott, who struck out three, retired all six batters he faced.

Hofstra starter Patrick Dahlgren (1-2) gave up four hits and six runs (five earned) in three innings.

Seton Hall finished with 17 hits off six Hofstra pitchers. Casey Grimm, Josh Schuck and Joe Scott added two hits each.

Seton Hall returns to action on Saturday, April 7 when it hosts Georgetown in a BIG EAST doubleheader beginning at noon.