Seton Hall University
Notre Dame
Hammer Homers, but Pirates Fall
3/24/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall University softball team was unable to overcome a hot start from the University of Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish picked up a 10-2 win in game three of the BIG EAST Conference series on Sunday afternoon at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field.
Emilee Koerner led off the game with a home run during what turned into a four-run first inning for Notre Dame (22-7, 3-0) and she added her second homer of the game and eighth of the season at the top of the second.
Led by senior Brittany Hammer (Manheim, Pa.) the Seton Hall (10-14, 0-3) offense got on track in the bottom half of the second. Junior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) reached on a dropped third strike and Hammer brought both runs home with a laser shot over the wall in left center.
The home run was Hammer’s second of the season and pulled the Pirates back within four, 6-2.
The Fighting Irish extended the advantage to 7-2 with one run in the third to have Seton Hall threaten in the bottom half of the inning.
Junior Meredith Henze (Elkton, Md.) led off with a single to center, and freshman Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) reached on a bunt single to the pitcher, giving the Pirates two on with no outs.
Freshman Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.) pinch ran for Henze and advanced to third on a Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) flyout, clearing the way for Harrell to swipe second for her team leading ninth seal of the season. Notre Dame starter Laura Winter managed to keep any SHU runs from crossing the plate, getting DeLuca to fly out to right field to end the inning.
Hammer picked up a second extra-base hit, this time a double down the left field line to start the fourth, a base hit that moved her into a tie for 10th place in career-doubles in Seton Hall history. However the Pirates were not able to take advantage and bring her home.
DeStaso fell to 8-6 on the year and sophomore Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) threw 121 pitches in five innings, allowing six runs, only four of them earned, with three strikeouts. She pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the third, when three errors led to Notre Dame putting three on with only one out. Moses struck out Amy Buntin and forced Winter to hit into an inning-ending groundout.
Seton Hall returns to action on Thursday, March 28, when it travels to Queens, N.Y., for the first two games of a three-game BIG EAST series with the St. John’s University Red Storm. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
