Baseball Sweeps Home-And-Home Against Monmouth, 4-2

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SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall baseball team defeated Monmouth, 4-2, Wednesday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field.  The win, coupled with the extra-inning win yesterday in West Long Branch, gave the Pirates the sweep in the home-and-home weekday series against the Hawks, and improves their overall record to an even .500.

Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.), Mike Genovese (Livingston, N.J.), Ryan Sullivan (Stony Point, N.Y.), and Frank Esposito (Staten Island, N.Y.) combined to go 7-for-13 with four runs scored and four RBI to lead the Pirates offense.

The sophomore from Nutley paved the way in each scoring frame for Seton Hall with a walk and two singles.  Sullivan plated Papaccio twice and Esposito picked up a two-run double while batting 2-for-4.

In the bottom of the second inning, Papaccio led off with a walk and moved to second base on a successful sacrifice bunt by Genovese.  Sullivan followed with his first run-scoring single of the afternoon.

The Pirates (19-19) doubled their lead in the bottom of the third.  With two outs, Papaccio reached base with a single and Genovese drew a walk to put runners on first and second.  The sophomore from Stony Point once again connected to pull a pitch into right-center field for an RBI base hit.

Already ahead, 2-0, in the bottom of the fifth, Esposito scored Papaccio and Genovese with a two-out double.

Monmouth (24-15) would build a rally in the top of the ninth when Nick Pulsonetti drove in Ryan Terry with a double, and scored a run on a fielder's choice groundout off the bat of Anthony Lawrence, but Josh Prevost (Belle Meade, N.J.) recorded the final two outs to wrap up his first collegiate save.

Frank Morris (Levittown, Pa.) (1-2) earned the win with five scoreless innings surrendering only one hit while striking out three.  Henry Warner (Gladstone, N.J.) and Greg Terhune (Washington, N.J.) combined to throw three scoreless innings of relief allowing one hit while striking out five.

Chris Perret (2-1) suffered the loss yielding four runs on nine hits in five innings of work.

The Pirates return to action Friday when they begin a three-game set at Notre Dame.  First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.