Seton Hall University
Pepperdine
Baseball Completes Pepperdine Sweep
3/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
MALIBU, CALIF. - Senior Mike Genovese (Livingston, N.J.) reached base five times and the Seton Hall bullpen pitched seven scoreless innings as the Pirates completed a three-game sweep at Pepperdine with a 9-3 victory on Sunday.
Genovese finished the day 3-for-4 with two walks, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Seton Hall (3-9) grabbed the lead from the start, scoring three times in the top of the first inning. Genovese singled up the middle with one out and moved to second when Scott Kalamar (Bethlehem, Pa.) was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch and Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.) singled through the right side, scoring Genovese with the first run. A second wild pitch scored Kalamar and Chris Selden (Allenhurst, N.J.) followed with a single to score Papaccio to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead.
Sophomore Jose Lopez (Cranbury, N.J.), still working his way back from injury, made his second start of the season and gave up three runs in the bottom of the second, which tied the game. But the Seton Hall bullpen was masterful in the relief of Lopez, shutting down the Waves for the next seven innings while scattering just three hits.
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Papaccio singled home Genovese with the go-ahead run and the Pirates wouldn't relinquish the lead the rest of the game.
In the sixth the Pirates tacked on two more insurance runs to take a 6-3 lead. Alex Falconi (Freeport, N.Y.) scored on an error and Genovese singled home Zack Granite (Staten Island, N.Y.) for his team-leading eighth RBI of the season.
The Pirates added a seventh run in the seventh and two more in the ninth.
Including Genovese, four Pirates recorded at least two hits. Papaccio went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Selden was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Ryan Sullivan (Stony Point, N.Y.) was 2-for-5.
Freshman Sam Burum (Robbinsville, N.J.) earned the win in relief. He pitched two scoreless innings, and now hasn't given up a run in nine innings thus far this season.
After starting the season with 12 straight games on the road, Seton Hall will make its Owen T. Carroll debut on Friday, March 15. The Pirates will play two games on Friday as part of the Strike Out Cancer Tournament. They'll face Massachusetts at 2:00 pm and Manhattan at 5:00 pm.
