Seton Hall University
Jacksonville
Softball Drops Two at Jacksonville
2/23/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Seton Hall (2-4) grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning against Delaware (6-0), but the Blue Hens responded with five unanswered runs, taking the lead for the first time in the top of the seventh inning when they scored four times.
Junior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) led Seton Hall offensively in the tournament opener against Delaware, going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBI.
Jacksonville (9-4) led 3-0 through three innings before the Pirates struck back with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. The Dolphins went on to score seven more runs over the next two innings to pick up the win.
Freshman Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) went 1-for-2 with two RBI against Jacksonville.
-- Game One --
Neither squad found much offensive success in the early innings, with the Pirates picking up their first base hits of the game, singles for sophomore Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) and DeLuca, in the bottom of the third inning.
Seton Hall was the first to break through offensively, bringing the first two runs of the game across home plate in the last of the fifth.
Senior Brittany Hammer (Manheim, Pa.) and DeStaso reached base with a pair of one-out singles, putting two runners on board for DeLuca who capitalized with a base-clearing two-RBI double to left center field.
Delaware cut its lead in half when Tori Conrad scored Lara Andrews from third with an RBI single into right field, but the Blue Hens managed to do the bulk of their damage in the top of the seventh when they scored four runs to take a commanding 5-2 lead.
All four of Delaware's seventh inning runs came with two outs. After sophomore Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) issued a leadoff walk, junior Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) came in to pitch, retiring two of the first three batters she faced.
Michelle McKinnon tied the score at 2-2 with a two-out single to left, and after a wild pitch put runners on second and third, DeStaso relieved Metzger. Delaware took its first lead of the game on a hit batter with the bases loaded, scored again on a wild pitch and rounded out the rally with a Shelby Jones RBI single to left.
Hammer went 1-for-4 with a run scored, DeStaso was 2-for-4 and sophomore Colltey Sheldon (Peoria, Ariz.) and sophomore Sam DeMasi (Lockport, Ill.) also recorded base hits.
-- Game Two --
Jacksonville took an early 3-0 lead over Seton Hall before the Pirates battled right back to pull within one run in the top of the fourth.
The Dolphins were first on the scoreboard thanks to a two-RBI double to center field for Codi Kelly, scoring Karson Tuck and Ashley Simon on the play.
Jacksonville extended its lead to three in the bottom of the third when Jacey Warner was issued a leadoff walk, scoring on a Sarah Simon base hit to right.
The Pirate offense went to work in the top half of the fourth. Freshman Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) led off the inning with a single to left, and moved into scoring position on a pass ball.
With one out DeLuca was hit a pitch and stole second to put two runners in scoring position for Rabbetts, who drove home Harrell and DeLuca with a two-out base hit to right.
Seeing its lead cut down to one Jacksonville responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth when Emily Sanchez clinched the win with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to right field, allowing Sable Lee to score the final run from third.
Metzger received the loss against Jacksonville, giving up five runs in three innings while strikeout out four.
Seton Hall continues play at the Jacksonville University Invitational on Saturday, Feb. 23. The Pirates face the University of South Alabama at 9:30 a.m., and Mount St. Mary's at 2 p.m.
