Baseball Falls to Stony Brook, 3-1 in Home Opener
3/14/2007 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
PHOTO GALLERY OF FIELD BLESSING AND RIBBON CUTTING CEREMONY
BOX SCORE (html)
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J.-- The Seton Hall baseball team fell to Stony Brook, 3-1 in its season opener. The game was the first game played on the newly renovated Owen T. Carroll field, and a field blessing and ribbon cutting ceremony preceded the game The Pirates fall to 5-9 with the loss while Stony Brook improves to 3-7.
The Pirates out-hit the Seawolves 6-4 and stranded seven runners on base compared to Stony Brook’s three.
The game was a battle of the pitchers, as both teams didn’t score a run until the seventh inning. Seton Hall starting pitcher Keith Cantwell (Tinton Falls, N.J.) held Stony Brook hitless until the seventh inning, when the Seawolves scored their first run of the game. In the top of the seventh, Stony Brook loaded the bases, but Cantwell pitched his way out of the jam, only giving up one run. With no outs and the bases loaded, Steve Mazzurco singled to center field to score Michael Stephan, but a stellar throw by Seton Hall’s center fielder Dan Lopez (Weehawken, N.J.) put Michael Tansey out at third. On the next play, Chris Cruz lined out to Cantwell, who turned it into a double play at second to end the inning.
The Pirates answered back in the bottom of the seventh, when Casey Hines (West Milford, N.J.) moved around the bases on a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball. He scored on a sacrifice fly from Robbie Hine (Brick, N.J.). With two outs, Seton Hall hit two back-to-back singles from Mike Morano (Basking Ridge, N.J.) and Lopez, but a line-up ended the Pirates chances of taking the lead.
In the eighth inning, Stony Brook scored the winning run and added a one run cushion for a 3-1 lead. The Seawolves led off with two singles, and moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. The winning run, scored by Keith Fier on a wild pitch, gave Stony Brook the 2-1 edge. Justin Echevarria scored the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly by Chris Sipp.
Stony Brook’s Jonathan Kalkau (1-0) earned the win in relief while Seton Hall’s D.J. Cunningham (Florham Park, N.J.) (0-1) was credited with the loss.
The Pirates will host Connecticut in the first weekend of BIG EAST play in a three game series. The teams will face off on Friday, Mar. 16, in a 3:30 p.m. start at Owen T. Carroll field. The Friday game was originally scheduled for 6:00 p.m., but was pushed up due to cooler temperatures.
