Seton Hall University
Marist
Hall & Marist Split Exciting Games
4/6/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall University softball team split a pair of exciting games in a doubleheader with Marist College, winning a marathon first game 5-4 in 10 innings, before seeing a late comeback attempt fall just short in game two, 4-3, on Saturday afternoon at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field in South Orange, N.J.
After the two teams scored just one run apiece through nine innings in game one, Marist appeared to have the game in hand with a three run 10th inning, only to be topped by Seton Hall’s four runs in the bottom half of the frame.
Sophomore Colltey Sheldon (Peoria, Ariz.) came up with the game-winning base hit, a hard hit single to left center, scoring freshman Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) from third.
Sophomore Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) picked up the win to improve to 10-8 on the year. She threw all 10 innings for the Hall, finishing with 168 pitches while compiling 14 strikeouts and giving up just three earned runs.
In the second game the Pirates faced a 4-2 deficit heading into the bottom of the seventh and proceeded to load the bases with just one out. With the Marist lead down to one, Rabbetts hit a line drive into centerfield, but it was handled by Red Fox centerfielder Maureen Duddy to end the game.
-- Game One –
As a scoreless game entered the sixth inning, Marist first baseman Alyssa Zahka led off the Red Foxes’ half of the inning with a solo homer out to centerfield, her third long ball of the year. That lead would be very short lived as the very next half inning Seton Hall responded with its first run of the game.
Freshman Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) opened the inning with a bunt single and stole second. With one out junior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) hit a single right at Aly Klemmer in right field, only Klemmer mishandled the ball, allowing Harrell to come all the way home and tie the game.
Following three more scoreless innings the bats came alive for both teams in the 10th. Marist had three runs on three hits, including a Nicole Cheek two-RBI double to left center to firmly take control of the action.
Harrell opened the SHU half of the 10th with a single to center and senior Brittany Hammer (Manheim, Pa.) followed that up with a base hit to right. Harrell came home on an odd play along the base paths.
Hammer attempted to steal second but pulled up before she could be tagged out. With Hammer caught in a pickle Marist’s second baseman Haley Birnbaum threw the ball out of play attempting to catch Hammer as she moved back toward first. The dead ball allowed Harrell to move home and Hammer to advance all the way to third.
DeStaso fouled out to deep right field to score Hammer from third and clear the bases, but DeLuca was hit by a pitch during the next at bat to give the Pirates the tying run at first.
For a moment it looked like the game was over as Rabbetts blasted what at first appeared to be a home run off the very top of the wall in right field, scoring DeLuca all the way from first base. Rabbetts ended up on second and the scored the game winner on Sheldon’s single to left.
-- Game Two –
The scoring started in the fourth inning. Zahka hit her second home run of the day, this time a two-run shot to right center to provide Marist with a 2-0 lead through three and a half innings.
Seton Hall got one back in the bottom of the inning with Sheldon bringing DeLuca home on a double to left center. The Red Foxes went on to extend the lead to 4-1 on a Nicole Cheek two-RBI base hit in the top of the fifth.
The Pirates chipped away at that lead and eventually had a chance to win the game in the seventh. DeStaso hit her team-leading sixth home run of the season to start off the SHU half of the sixth to cut Seton Hall’s deficit down to two.
With her team still trailing 4-2 in the seventh sophomore Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) notched a lead off hit to right and junior Meredith Henze (Elkton, Md.) made it two on and nobody out with a base hit to center.
Harrell moved pinch runner Sam DeMasi (Lockport, Ill.) and Henze into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Hammer drew a walk to load the bases for Seton Hall.
DeStaso brought one run home, sending a grounder out to second where Birnbaum missed the tag on Hammer and all of the runners were safe. Another ground ball to second resulted in Henze being thrown out on a force at the plate, and the SHU rally ended as Rabbetts lined out to center.
Henze went 2-for-3 and DeStaso recorded a pair of RBI for the Pirates in game two. Moses received the start and tossed 5.1 innings with four strikeouts while giving up just two earned runs.
Seton Hall returns to action with a doubleheader at Siena College on Sunday, April 7, in Loudonville, N.Y. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.
