Baseball Shuts Out NJIT, 7-0
3/14/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Seton Hall baseball freshman Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.) and senior Michael Rogers (Portland, Ore.) each reached base four times while five pitchers combined to shutout NJIT, 7-0, Sunday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field, marking in their final game of the first Strike Out Cancer weekend.
Originally, the final game scheduled today between the Pirates and Lafayette, was officially canceled due to rain. No make-up date has yet been set.
Seton Hall (4-7) jumped to out a quick, 3-0, lead in the bottom of the second inning. Papaccio led off with a triple and came around to score two batters later on a single by Michael Betz (Mini-Hill, N.J.). Three batters later, Bobby Abreu (Piscataway, N.J.) belted a two-run double plating Chris Fontenelli (Toms River, N.J.) and Ryan Sullivan (Stony Point, N.Y.) for the three-run advantage.
As the beginning of the third inning started, so did the rain. The teams waited out a 2:40 rain delay prior to re-starting the top half of the inning. Following the delay, the Pirates tacked on four more runs including a sacrifice-fly by Papaccio in the fifth, a solo home run by A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.) in the sixth, and an RBI double by Nick Ammirati (Sparta, N.J.) in the seventh. The Pirates final run came in the eight when Rusbarsky scored from third base on a Highlander error.
Pirates' right-handed starter Benny Mejia (Paterson, N.J.) (1-0) remained in the game after the delay to toss five scoreless innings striking out five batters. Ryan Harvey (Manalapan, N.J.), Collin McGowan (Statford, N.J.), Greg Terhune (Washington, N.J.), and Matt Singer (Bayonne, N.J.) completed the next four innings allowing a combined six hits, while striking out three, to preserve the shutout.
In addition to Papaccio and Rogers - who reached base with a single and three walks scoring a run, Betz recorded two hits and a RBI.
NJIT (2-7) starter Tripp Davis (0-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits in two innings. Davis did not return after the rain delay.
The Pirates will return to the field Tuesday afternoon when they host Stony Brook. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
