Box Score (html)
Box Score (pdf)
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall baseball team lost the rubber match to Rutgers, 6-3, Sunday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field. Despite the loss, the Pirates remain in fourth place in the BIG EAST Conference with a 13-8 mark, 27-17 overall.
Trailing, 6-2, in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Pirates had runners on second and third with one-out, however only picked up an RBI groundout by sophomore Chris Fontenelli (Toms River, N.J.) before freshman A.J. Rusbarksy (Freehold, N.J.) flew out to center field.
Rutgers (18-22-1) jumped out to an early, 3-0, lead in the top of the first inning. With two-outs and runners on second and third, freshman Jaren Matthews delivered a two-run single to right-center field. Matthews would later come around to score on a throwing error by Pirates senior catcher Matt Skopak (Essex Fells, N.J.).
The Pirates cut the lead to, 3-1, in the bottom half of the first. With junior Matt Smedberg (Rockaway, N.J.) on third base and two-outs, Rutgers sophomore shortstop Dan Betteridge made a throwing error on a groundball off the bat of junior Greg Miller (Shamong, N.J.) allowing Smedberg to score.
Already ahead, 3-1, entering the top of the third inning, Matthews hit a bases-loaded RBI single and junior Luis Feliz hit a sacrifice-fly to give the Scarlet Knights a, 5-1, advantage. They added their sixth run on an RBI base hit by sophomore Jarred Jimenez in the top of the ninth.
Senior Mark Pappas (Ocean Township, N.J.) had a pair of hits for the Pirates and Smedberg went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Junior Chris Affinito (East Brunswick, N.J.) went 1-for-4 with a double and run scored, and freshman Michael Blanke (Palm Bay, Fla.) went 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit RBI double in the bottom of the eighth. Matthews led the way for Rutgers going 2-for-5 with a run scored and three RBI.
Miller (4-4) took the loss after allowing three runs, two earned, on four hits in 1.1 innings of work with three strikeouts. Senior Matt Patterson (3-1) earned the victory tossing 3.2 innings of relief surrendering only one run on three hits, and junior Ryan Beard picked up his second save of the season.
The Pirates will have a week off due to final exams and return to Owen T. Carroll Field Tuesday, May 6 against NYIT. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
