Baseball Avoids Sweep; Defeats #25 St. John's, 6-2

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QUEENS, N.Y.   The Seton Hall baseball team scored five unanswered runs to defeat St. John’s, 6-2, Sunday afternoon at Jack Kaiser Stadium. With the win, the Pirates avoid the three-game series sweep and ended the Red Storm’s 12-game winning streak.

Trailing, 2-1, in the top of the sixth inning, junior Greg Miller (Shamong, N.J.) singled while senior Dan Lopez (Weehawken, N.J.) and junior Matt Smedberg (Rockaway, N.J.) drew walks to load the bases for senior Matt Skopak (Essex Fells, N.J.) who smacked an two-run single to give the Pirates a, 3-2, lead.

Already ahead, the Pirates added insurance runs with a two-run home run by junior Chris Affinito (East Brunswick, N.J.), his second in as many days, in the top of the seventh inning, and an RBI single by Smedberg in the top of the eighth for the, 6-2, advantage.

In the top of the third inning, the Pirates (13-12, 5-4) took their first lead of the series when freshman A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.) hit an RBI single to score Smedberg, who singled to reach base.  However, the Red Storm (19-5, 5-1) came back with runs in the third and fourth innings for a, 2-1, lead. 

After back-to-back singles by senior Chris Anninos and freshman Paul Karmas, freshman George Hopkins tied the game at one with an RBI single in the third.  In the fourth inning, the Red Storm, again, had runners on first and second base, when junior Gino Matias scored on a throwing error by Pirates first baseman Affinito.

Rusbarsky, Affinito, Miller, and Smedberg each had two hits to lead the Pirates.  Anninos went 3-for-4 with a run scored for the Red Storm.

Miller (2-1) earned the victory allowing only two runs, one earned, on six hits in six innings, striking out five.  Junior Justin Gutsie took the loss after surrendering four runs, three earned, on three hits in 2.2 relief innings of work.

The Pirates will travel to Lawrenceville, N.J. to take on Rider Tuesday afternoon.  First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.