Baseball Offense Shut Down At USF, 2-1
5/2/2010 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Game Notes (html)
Game Notes (pdf)
TAMPA, FLA. - A quartet of Seton Hall baseball pitchers combined to toss eight innings allowing only two runs while scattering eight hits, however those two USF runs were enough as the Pirates lost to the Bulls, 2-1, Saturday evening at Red McEwen Stadium. Included in the four pitchers, was Frank Morris (Levittown, Pa.) (1-5) who lasted six innings surrendering six hits and two runs.
Following Morris on the mound, Ed Ras (Millstone, N.J.), Mike Genovese (Livingston, N.J.), and Matt Singer (Bayonne, N.J.) tossed three shutout relief innings. Singer, who entered the game with no outs and two runners on base in the eighth, recorded the three outs and received great defense behind him, to keep the Pirates within one run. With one out and runners on second and third, the Hall brought the infield in as Chad Taylor lined a pitch to the left of A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.) who made a diving play to his glove side saving two-runs.
Kevin Quackenbush, however, pitched a perfect ninth inning, his third inning of the night, to record his fourth save of the year.
Similar to USF yesterday, Seton Hall (15-23-1, 5-12) took the early lead in the first inning. Michael Rogers (Portland Ore.) led off the game reaching base when he was hit by a pitch. The senior moved to second base when classmate Chris Spagnuolo (Tabernacle, N.J.) connected for a base hit up the middle. Each advanced one base on a passed ball by Bulls' catcher Daniel Rockhold before Rogers scored on an RBI groundout to the left side off the bat of Frank Esposito (Staten Island, N.Y.).
Trailing, 1-0, USF (20-24, 10-7) threatened to plate their first run in the home half of the third inning when they loaded the bases on a single, a walk, and a Pirate error, however Morris settled down to induce a groundout to third base off the bat of Jonathan Koscso for the final out of the inning.
In the bottom of the fourth, however, the Bulls would get on the scoreboard with two runs, their first in 11 consecutive innings against Pirate pitching. After Junior Carlin started the frame grounding out to Morris on a bunt attempt, Daniel Rockhold was hit by a pitch and Sam Mende followed with a two-run home run over the left field wall to give USF a, 2-1, advantage.
That was all the duo of Andrew Barbosa and Quackenbush would need to tie the series at one game apiece. Despite only increasing his BIG EAST leading 81 strikeouts entering tonight's game by three against the Pirates offense, Barbosa (6-2) picked up the win allowing one run on five hits in six innings.
The Pirates and the Bulls will complete the three game series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for noon.
