Softball Takes Two From Central Connecticut State In Home Opener
3/24/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
GAME ONE BOX SCORE (.html)
GAME ONE BOX SCORE (.pdf)
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (.html)
GAME TWO BOX SCORE (.pdf)
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Turns out the Seton Hall softball team just needed some home cooking. After losing four straight, the Pirates (5-11) returned to Ivy Hill Park for the first time this season and swept a double-header against Central Connecticut State. SHU took game one, 3-2, after a dominant performance from senior pitcher Ashley Forsyth (Freehold, N.J.), and scored 10 runs in the first inning of the nightcap, cruising to a 15-0 victory.
Senior Danielle Zanzalari (Carteret, N.J.) pitched her best game in a Pirate uniform in game two, tossing five innings of scoreless ball, allowing just four hits while fanning four to improve to 1-1 on the season.
The Blue Devils (7-10) opened the scoring in the first inning of game one. Sara Budrick registered a one-out single and advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop, putting runners on first and second. Tiffany Erickson singled to left-center to score Budrick, putting CCSU on top, 1-0.
The Pirates would answer in the bottom half of the inning after Michelle Reed (Wrightstown, N.J.) singled, stole second and came around to score after an RBI knock by Kristen Kaelin (Parlin, N.J.).
In the top of the third, Rebecca Mussatti drew a leadoff walk and wound up on third base after a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt play. Jaclyn Logan hit a fly ball deep enough to centerfield to bring in Mussatti to give the Blue Devils a 2-1 advantage, but the Pirates quickly responded in their next at-bats.
Junior Nalin Bennett (East Syracuse, N.Y.) started things off with a base hit, and Reed legged out an infield single. A sacrifice bunt pushed both runners into scoring position for Brooke Tull (Greenwood, Del.), who notched her first career hit, a long single to the gap in left-center, and brought in both the tying and go-ahead runs.
That would be all the offense Forsyth would need as she retired the final 12 outs without incident. She gave up just five hits, allowed no earned runs, and struck out eight batters to even her record at 3-3.
Reed went 2-for-3 from the plate in the opener.
In game two, the Hall posted its biggest inning of the year while recording just five hits. Bennett and Reed each walked in the bottom of the first, leading to Tull hitting a slow ground ball to first base. The fielder decided to throw home instead of getting the force at first, and Bennett beat the throw to get the Pirates on the board.
Reed made it 2-0 after an illegal pitch was called on Abby Harpp for losing contact with the pitching rubber, allowing the free base. Tull also came in later on the same call by the umpire.
With runners on second and third, Cashel Gaffey (East Lyme, Conn.) reached on an error on the first baseman to bring in two more runs. SHU later loaded the bases after walks to Laura Canulli (Naperville, Ill.) and Jeanette Ragucci (Glen Gardner, N.J.). Bennett delivered a single to plate Gaffey and extend the margin to 6-0.
A wild pitch allowed Canulli to score and Reed drove a single to the opposite field, pushing the issue to 8-0. Another errant throw by a Blue Devil pitcher brought in Bennett and Tull earned her second RBI of the inning with a single to cap the scoring.
The Pirates tacked on five more in the third inning, highlighted by a two-run homer by Kirby Groves (Yardley, Pa.) and a towering three-run shot by Canulli marking her first career blast.
Seton Hall will open up its BIG EAST slate with a three-game series against Notre Dame at Ivy Hill Park. The Pirates will play a double-header against the Irish on Friday, March 27, with first pitch slated to be at noon.
