Seton Hall University
Iona
Pirates Rally Past Iona, Win 4-2
4/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – With the score deadlocked in the bottom of the eighth inning, junior catcher Dillon Hamlin (Colts Neck, N.J.) delivered a one-out, two-RBI single to lift the Seton Hall baseball team past visiting Iona, 4-2, on Wednesday afternoon at Owen T. Carroll Field.
The win was the 19th of the season for the Pirates (19-15), who have bounced back from a 0-9 start to post a .760 winning percentage in their last 25 contests. SHU is also now a perfect 6-0 in mid-week games since the season-opening 12-game west coast swing.
Sophomore lefty Anthony Elia (Flanders, N.J.) got his sixth start of the year and turned in seven shutout innings, scattering six hits and striking out five.
Elia left the game in line for fourth victory of the season after freshman Zack Weigel (Oak Park, Ill.) and senior Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.) helped Seton Hall jump out to an early two-run advantage.
Papaccio singled up the middle to start the home half of the 2nd inning, and took third on a single by Kyle Grimm (Bergenfield, N.J.). Up next, Weigel stepped in a sent a 2-0 pitch through the right side, plating Papaccio for the first run of the day.
The next three innings went by without a run coming across but in the bottom of the sixth, Papaccio and Weigel combined again to produce an insurance run. The senior shortstop laced his third single of the game to start the inning and promptly advanced to second on a wild pitch. After a Tyler Boyd (Succasunna, N.J.) walk, Grimm laid down a successful sacrifice bunt to move both runners into scoring position.
Weigel took advantage of the opportunity, putting the ball in play and bringing in Papaccio with a ground ball to shortstop to put the score at 2-0 in favor of the home side.
Elia sent the Gaels down in order in the top of the seventh, but despite a two-out threat started by a triple from senior Ryan Sullivan (Stony Point, N.Y.) the Pirates could not widen the margin heading into the eighth.
Josh Prevost (Belle Mead, N.J.) relieved Elia to start the frame but after retiring the first batter, three straight Gaels reached to load the bases with one out. Iona went on to tie the score with two singles off Luke Cahill (Tinton Falls, N.J.) but senior Brian Gilbert (Toms River, N.J.) came on with the bases full and two outs and quickly induced an inning-ending grounder to limit the damage.
SHU found a quick response in their half of the eighth, capitalizing on a leadoff walk by Boyd, who received the start at first base. Freshman Derek Jenkins (Annandale, N.J.) pinch-ran for Boyd and moved to second when an attempted pick off sailed over the head of IC first baseman Matt Kriss. Looking to move the runner over, Grimm laid a perfect bunt down the third base line that left the defense no play but to hope the ball bounced foul. Instead, the ball came to a stop squarely on the line and the Pirates were in business with runners on the corners and nobody out.
Grimm swiped second and after another tough at-bat from Weigel, Hamlin stepped in. Despite being behind in the count, the Colts Neck native stayed with a 1-2 pitch and deposited it into right field for an opposite-field single that brought home both runners and gave The Hall a 4-2 lead.
That was more than Gilbert would need as the righty made quick work of the Gaels in the ninth to secure the win. In the process, the Pirates’ closer improved his record to 2-3 on the year.
Hamlin and Weigel led the way offensively, each picking up a hit and two runs batted in. Papaccio added three more hits and scored twice while Grimm finished the day 3-for-3 at the plate with the one run scored.
The Pirates will be back in action this weekend when they welcome Georgetown to South Orange for a pivotal three-game conference series. Game one is scheduled for a 6:00 p.m. start on Friday, April 19.
