Baseball Holds On For 8-4 Win at Wagner

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STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Sean Gusrang (Burlington, N.J.) and Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.) each picked up three hits while Mike Genovese (Livingston, N.J.) drove in three runs leading the Seton Hall baseball team over Wagner, 8-4, Wednesday afternoon at R.C.B. Ballpark.  The win improves the Pirates overall record to 15-15.

Starting pitchers Greg Terhune (Washington, N.J.) and Matt Gavin battled pitch-for-pitch through two scoreless innings, but it was the Pirates patience at the plate that helped them breakthrough in the top of the third.

The Hall sent 10 batters to the plate and scored five runs while only picking up two hits to take a, 5-0, lead.  Scott Kalamar (Bethlehem, Pa.) led off the inning with a walk and Will Walsh (New Milford, N.J.) and Zack Granite (Staten Island, N.Y.) later followed with back-to-back one-out walks to load the bases.  Wagner chose to remove Gavin from the game for Chris Rautenstrauch, whose first pitch went to the backstop allowing Kalamar to score from third base.  A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.) then ripped a two-run single into right-center field giving Seton Hall a, 3-0, advantage.

With the senior from Freehold standing on first base, Dale Anderson (Alberta, Canada) and Papaccio were each hit-by-a-pitch once again loading the bases paving the way for Genovese to belt a two-run single of his own to center field.

After Gusrang gave the Pirates a six run advantage by scoring on a passed ball in the fifth, Wagner began to put together a comeback.

In the bottom of the sixth, Nick Alfano followed back-to-back one-out singles with a run scoring double cutting their deficit to, 6-1.  Tommy Higgins scored on a wild pitch before George Fernandez (Union, N.J.) struck out Ian Vazquez and Ian Miller looking to end the threat.

Higgins hit an RBI single in the home half of the seventh and Seth Boyd scored on the Pirates second error of the frame to further cut into the Pirate lead, but Seton Hall used four straight singles in the top of the ninth, including an RBI base hit by Genovese, and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Dillon Hamlin (Colts Neck, N.J.) to add more insurance to their lead and put the game away.

Terhune (3-3) picked up the win tossing 5.1 innings allowing two runs while striking out four.  Gavin (0-2) suffered the loss lasting 2.1 hitless innings yielding three runs on three walks, while striking out three.  Frank Morris (Levittown, Pa.) earned his first save of the year pitching 2.1 scoreless innings in relief striking out two.

The Pirates return to Owen T. Carroll this weekend when they host USF.  First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.