Five Run Eighth Hurts Baseball Against USF, 11-6

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TAMPA, FLA. - The Seton Hall baseball team got as close as, 6-4, in the eighth inning, but a five run frame in the bottom of the eighth opened the game for USF, as the Pirates lost 11-6, in the rubber match of the three-game series Sunday afternoon at Red McEwen Field.

Frank Esposito (Staten Island, N.Y.) drove home two runs in the top of the ninth with a double to plate the Pirates fifth and sixth runs of the game.

Trailing, 6-1, entering the top of the eighth, Esposito led off with a single and moved to third on a double by Will Walsh (New Milford, N.J.).  Both runners scored on a double by Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.) to cut the deficit to, 6-3. 

Papaccio scored the Pirates fourth run on a sacrifice fly by A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.), however Chad Taylor highlighted a five-run frame with a two-run single to put the game out of reach.

Stephen Hunt gave USF (21-24, 12-6) a, 1-0, lead with an RBI single in the bottom of the first and Eric Sim doubled their lead with a sacrifice fly in the fourth.

Seton Hall (15-24-1, 5-13) scored their first run in the top of the sixth to cut the Bulls lead in half.  Esposito singled and advanced to third base when Junior Carlin threw out Michael Rogers (Portland, Ore.) trying to move from first to third on the single.

With Esposito on second and one out, Walsh grounded out to second base sending the junior catcher to third base.  A passed ball by Bulls' catcher Sim scored Esposito for the Pirates' first run.  Papaccio and Chase Gray (Toms River, N.J.) followed with two out singles, but USF starter Jimmy Moran induced a ground out off the bat of Rusbarsky to end the inning.

Luis Llerena and Ryan Lockwood gave the Bulls insurance runs the back-to-back run scoring singles in the sixth, and Sam Mende put the home team ahead, 6-1, with a two-run single in the seventh.

Jon Prosinski (Skillman, N.J.) (2-3) suffered the loss after battling through 5.2 innings yielding four runs, two earned, striking out three.  Moran (1-0) received the win allowing only one run of seven hits in six innings of work.

Esposito led the Pirate offense going 3-for-5 with two singles, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI.  Bobby Abreu (Piscataway, N.J.), Chris Spagnuolo (Tabernacle, N.J.), Rogers, and Papaccio each ended with two hits.  The Pirates offense as a total had 17 hits.

After two weeks on the road, the Pirates will return home for a seven game homestand beginning Tuesday when they face St. Peter's at 3:30 p.m.