Seton Hall University
UMass-Lowell
Softball Bounces Back with 13-1 Win Over UMass Lowell
2/7/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
Feb. 7, 2014
BUIES CREEK, N.C. - The Seton Hall University softball team bounced back from its season opening loss earlier in the day to dominate UMass Lowell in a 13-1 win in five innings on Friday night at the Campbell University Hampton Inn Stampede Classic.
The Pirates (1-1) were originally scheduled to face UMass Lowell (1-1) in their tournament finale on Sunday, but the game was moved up due to weather concerns later in the weekend.
Seton Hall generated plenty of offense right out of the gate in the 12-run win, but the Pirates really only needed a fraction of that production because senior Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) was in complete control in the circle. Metzger picked up her first win of the year in her first appearance allowing just a pair of base hits and one earned run over four innings, striking out four in the process.
Offensively it was senior Meredith Henze (Elkton, Md.), who went 2-for-3 against IPFW earlier in the day, and junior Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) doing a bulk of the damage, as each of them hit a three-run homer in the win.
Henze's blast to center field came in the top of the first inning. Three of the first four Pirates to step to the plate reached base as freshman Valerie Suto (Mercerville, N.J.) and junior Colltey Sheldon (Peoria, Ariz.) recorded back-to-back singles to start the game. Suto would score on a pass ball, but Sheldon and freshman Lauren Fischer (Robbinsville, N.J.) were on base when Henze left the yard.
Two more runs came across the plate in the second as junior Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) recorded a base hit to center field, scoring Suto and Metzger on the play. Seton Hall tacked on one more run in the third and fourth innings before really putting the game out of reach in the fifth.
Junior Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) was responsible for the first big base hit of SHU's five-run fifth, singling up the middle to score Sheldon and junior Sam DeMasi (Lockport, Ill.). Haefeli was the next batter to step to the plate and she cleared the bases with a three-run shot out to left.
Batting leadoff Suto reached base twice, scoring on both occasions and Sheldon recorded her first multi-hit game of the season going 3-for-4 in the No. 2 spot. Haefeli also had three base hits in the game, finishing 3-for-4, and Metzger hit 2-for-3 in her first offensive chances of the year.
Action at the Hampton Inn Stampede Classic continues on Saturday as the Pirates are scheduled to face tournament host Campbell at 3 p.m., and Valparaiso at 8 p.m., but weather delays may result in an alteration to the schedule.
