Seton Hall University
Manhattan
Baseball Splits Double-Header
3/16/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall baseball team played its first games at home this season and split a double-header on the first day of the 2013 Strike Out Cancer Tournament on Friday. The Pirates defeated Massachusetts in the opener, 9-0, but fell in the nightcap to Manhattan in 13 innings, 2-1.
Senior Jon Prosinski (Skillman, N.J.) continued his masterful start to this season with six shutout innings vs. UMass to improve to 2-2 on the season. The right-hander scatter just five hits while striking out seven and walking just two. Conor Krauss (Randolph, N.J.) came on in relief of Prosinski to start the seventh inning and was equally impressive. The sophomore picked up a three-inning save, giving up just one hit.
There was little doubt of the outcome in this game as the Pirates jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Junior Zack Granite (Staten Island, N.Y.) singled and stole second and third base. With one out, Scott Kalamar (Bethlehem, Pa.) walked. The Pirates then scored their first run on a double steal. Kalamar broke, and Granite came in to score on UMass' throw to second. Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.) followed with an RBI single, which scored Kalamar. Chris Selden (Allenhurst, N.J.) followed with a single on a hit and run, which advanced Papaccio to third. The Pirates made it 3-0 when Jon Beaubien (Livingston, N.J.) delivered a sacrifice fly. In the first inning alone, Seton Hall stole five bases.
After tacking on another insurance run in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 4-0, the Pirates broke the game open with five runs in the eighth. Seton Hall sent nine batters to the plate, four of which scored on a grand slam by Sal Annunziata (Bronx, N.Y.). The home run is Annunziata's second of the season and fifth of his career.
Granite finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three stolen bases. Annunziata was 2-for-4 with four RBIs.
In the nightcap, the Pirates dropped a hard-fought pitchers' duel in their second extra-innings game of the season. Junior Josh Prevost (Belle Mead, N.J.) got the start and gave up just one unearned run over 5.2 innings, while striking out five and walking three.
Sophomore Jose Lopez (Cranbury, N.J.) was tremendous in relief of Prevost, throwing 4.1 innings of one-hit baseball, while striking out three and walking none.
In the bottom of the third, Seton Hall took a 1-0 lead. Granite walked with one out and advanced to second on a single by Mike Genovese (Livingston, N.J.). Granite moved to third on a wild pitch and came in to score on a sacrifice fly by Kalamar.
With the score tied at one, Brian Gilbert (Toms River, N.J.) came on in relief to start the 11th inning. After a scoreless 11th, Manhattan appeared destined to score in the 12th, by loading the bases with no outs. But Gilbert bore down, struck out the next two batters and got the third out on a pop to first base.
In the 13th inning however, the Jaspers scored the decisive run on a two-out RBI double. Gilbert took the hard luck loss despite pitching three innings, with just one unearned run, and five strikeouts.
Scott Kalamar went 2-for-5 with an RBI to lead the Pirates offensively in game two. Tyler Boyd (Succasunna, N.J.) reached base four times, going 1-for-3 with three walks.
The 2013 Strike Out Cancer Tournament will resume tomorrow (Saturday) with another double-header. Manhattan and Massachusetts will square off at noon, while Seton Hall and Manhattan will take the field at 3:00 p.m.
