, N.J. The Seton Hall softball team was swept on Sunday by Rutgers, falling 5-4 in game one and 1-0 in game two.
Game one remained scoreless until the bottom of the third when junior Kealan Waldron (Oak Park, Ill.) launched an opposite field homerun, her ninth of the year, to make it 1-0.
Rutgers tied the game in the top of the fourth when Amanda Heller scored from second after Kim Hodges’ grounder to short was misplayed by freshman shortstop Brittany Schillizzi (Paramus, N.J.).
Amanda Shaw led off the Rutgers sixth with an infield single before Heller reached on an error to make it first and second with no outs. Mallory Miller knocked in a run with a single to right to make it 2-1, and the Scarlet Knights loaded the bases when Kate Valiante reached on an error. Hodges followed with a double that plated two runners, and Mandy Craig later made it 5-1 with a sacrifice fly to right off sophomore Hall hurler Ashley Forsyth (Freehold, N.J.).
The Pirates mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases when senior Ashley Constantini (Newark, Del.) reached on an error, senior Christa Leighton (Brewster, N.Y.) singled, and freshman Michelle Reed (Wrightstown, N.J.) was hit by a pitch, all with one out. With two down, Waldron ripped an RBI single to left, making it 5-2. Senior Jenna Best (Medford, N.J.) lined a double off the right field wall that brought SHU within one, and junior Amanda Winn (Manahawkin, N.J.) was intentionally walked to reload the bases. Scarlet Knights’ pitcher Nicole Lindley recovered to get the final out, however, getting junior Shannon Pease (Binghamton, N.Y.) to fly to center.
Forsyth (11-15) allowed just one earned run on five hits to go along with one walk and six strikeouts. Best and Waldron were both 3-for-4 with two RBI.
Rutgers struck in the third inning of game two, loading the bases off senior SHU pitcher Jessica Jones (Tyler, Texas) before scoring a run on Miller’s sacrifice fly to deep center.
Seton Hall was shut out by Chrissy Yard, who allowed just two hits and one walk. Jones (3-2) allowed only five hits while striking out two.
The Pirates close out their season on Tuesday with a doubleheader at Saint Peter’s.
