Seton Hall University
Miami (Oh)
Metzger, DeLuca Lead Softball Past Boston
3/14/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 14, 2014
CLEARWATER, FLA. - The Seton Hall University softball team was back in action in sunny Clearwater on Friday morning, splitting a pair of games as the second tournament of its extended Spring Break trip got underway. The Pirates opened the day with a 3-2 win over Boston University before falling to Miami (Ohio), 7-2.
Senior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) recorded an RBI single and made a great defensive play to prevent a base hit in the top of the seventh inning in the victory over Boston University. Senior Meredith Henze (Elkton, Md.), along with DeLuca, went 2-for-4 against Miami, but the Pirates were never to come all the way back from an early three-run deficit.
Seton Hall 3, Boston University 2
After falling behind the Terriers 2-0 in the top of the first inning Seton Hall responded with three runs in the third and then held on down the stretch to preserve the one-run victory.
Senior Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) tossed a complete-game to even her overall record at 2-2 for the year. She allowed just four base hits with six strikeouts in seven innings, settling in after relinquishing two runs to start the game.
Seton Hall manufactured three runs on three hits and took advantage of a pair of Boston fielding errors to take the lead for good in the bottom of the third. The first three runners of the inning reached for SHU as Metzger and junior Sam DeMasi (Lockport, Ill.) dialed up back-to-back base hits, followed by a throwing error on a Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) bunt attempt that allowed Metzger to come all the way around from second to score.
DeLuca drove in DeMasi with a sacrifice fly to right field, knotting the game at 2-2, as Harrell advanced to third on the play. That heads up base running maneuver paid dividends moments later when she gave Seton Hall the lead as Emily Felbaum committed an error trying to catch Harrell at third on a Henze flyout.
Metzger pitched out of a jam in the Boston half of the fourth. Felbaum smacked a leadoff double and stood on third with no outs after a pass ball but she would never make it home as Metzger struck out the next three batters in order. Again in the fifth the Terriers knocked on the door placing two runners in scoring position with just one out. Metzger responded with strikeout and pop out to centerfield to put an end to the threat.
The final six Boston batters of the game were retired in order, with DeLuca making a diving backhanded stop on a Moriah Connolly line drive to lead off the seventh to help seal the win.
Miami (Ohio) 7, Seton Hall 2
Seton Hall trailed again in the early moments of game two against the Redhawks. Miami scored once on the top of the first as Jenna Modic drove in Taylor Shuey with a line drive up the middle that SHU starter Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.). Moses would stay in the game and retire Bree Lipscomb to end the inning.
The Redhawks scored twice more in the top of the second to push the advantage to 3-0, leading to junior Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) stepping in to pitch.
The Pirates cut their deficit to just two in the bottom half of that inning. Junior Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) drew a leadoff walk and came home on an Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) single.
Seton Hall would pull even closer with one more run in the last of the fifth. This time sophomore Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.) recorded the RBI base hit, scoring Henze from third. The Pirates were unable to pull any closer as Miami pulled away with three runs in the top of the seventh.
DeStaso struck out six in 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on three hits. Seton Hall will play two more on Saturday morning in Clearwater, Fla., as the Pirates face Yale at 9:30 a.m., and Massachusetts at 11:45 a.m.
