Seton Hall University
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Dartmouth
Softball Shuts Out Dartmouth, 5-0
3/3/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
A pair of dominant pitching performances aided the Pirates in their strong showings on Saturday. Junior Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) tossed a complete-game shutout in the victory over Dartmouth. She struck out six batters while giving up just three hits in seven innings of work. It was the first complete game for a Seton Hall pitcher this season and the Pirates' first shutout of 2013.
In the second game of the day it was sophomore Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) who was in a groove. She faced the minimum through three innings and struck out five of the nine batters she faced without giving up a base hit.
-- Game One --
Behind a dominant pitching performance from Metzger the Pirates were able to get off to a quick start at the Colonial Invitational with a shutout win over Dartmouth. The Big Green tallied just three hits in seven innings and never more than one hit in a single inning.
Metzger issued just three walks and faced only six batters over the minimum while Dartmouth saw a base runner reach third only three times.
With Metzger in control on the mound Seton Hall did not need much offensively but the Pirates found all the runs they required with an explosive five-run third inning.
The Pirates batted around in the third, tallying six hits and bringing 10 to the plate in the frame; the first six Seton Hall batters of the inning all reached base.
Freshman Jackie DiPietro (Islip, N.Y.) led off the third with a double to right field and scored the first run of the game on a Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) bunt. DeStaso drove in Harrell and senior Brittany Hammer (Manheim, Pa.) had a base hit into right field to put the Pirates in front by three.
Junior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) came up with the other big hit of the inning and rounded out the SHU scoring by belting her second home run of the year out to left center field, scoring sophomore Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) on the play.
Eight total players recorded a base hit for the Pirates in the win but Harrell led all batters by going 3-for-4 with an RBI and run scored. Kara Curosh led Dartmouth by going 2-for-3 and starter Alex Jarvis was held accountable for four of Seton Hall's five runs, dropping to 0-1 on the season.
-- Game Two --
Seton Hall provided DeStaso with plenty of run support in the early going hanging three runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning while chasing Bison starter Dana Nielson from the game after just three batters.
Harrell led off the inning with a triple to left field, the first of her career, and came around to score on the play. Hammer and DeStaso kept the pressure on with a pair of base hits to put runners on first and second with no outs and Bucknell brought in Amanda Fazio to relieve Nielson.
That did little to deter the Seton Hall offensive attack. DeLuca brought Hammer home from second with an RBI-single to right and DeStaso made the SHU advantage 3-0 when she scored on a Colltey Sheldon (Peoria, Ariz.) sacrifice fly out to left.
Seton Hall added its fourth run in the last of the third. DeLuca led off the inning with a single to short and scored on an Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) double to right center.
The game was called for darkness after three innings of play and will be resumed on Sunday afternoon at approximately 12:30 p.m.
After the completion of Saturday's game Seton Hall will face Bucknell for a second time. Because of the altered tournament schedule the Pirates' tournament finale with George Washington University on Sunday afternoon as been cancelled.
