Seton Hall University
Providence
Softball Sweeps Providence to Earn Series Win
3/22/2014 12:00:00 AM | Softball
March 22, 2014
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall University softball team started BIG EAST play out on the right foot by picking up a doubleheader sweep over the Providence Friars on Saturday at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field. A strong start to game one that saw the Hall plate three runs in the bottom of the first inning set the tone for a 5-0 win while the Pirates came back from an early 2-0 deficit to take game two, 11-3, in five innings.
The top of the order powered SHU in game one, as seven of the team's eight hits came from the top for positions with junior Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and a home run, her fourth of the year.
In game two DeStaso picked up the win with five innings of work and the offensive contributions came from nearly every starter. Leadoff batter Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 with three RBIs while junior Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) was 2-for-2 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
For the Pirates, the Saturday sweep signifies the end to a long stretch of slow starts to conference play. Seton Hall had been 1-18 in games played during its BIG EAST opening series dating back to 2006, and the Hall has now won its first conference series of the season for the first time since 2005.
Seton Hall 5, Providence 0
Two key factors played a role in Seton Hall's win in game one, the ability to hold on to an early lead and for the SHU pitchers to escape a couple of troublesome innings. The Pirates led 3-0 after the first inning but Providence had its chances to get back in the game before the Pirate defense and pitching continuously extinguished those rally attempts.
In the top of the fourth the Friars still trailed by three when a single and a couple of walks created a bases loaded situation with two outs. Catcher Faith Laudano (Islip, N.Y.) made the big inning-ending play, catching Shanelle Harrell a big lead a third base, picking her off to end the threat.
Providence appeared to be on the verge of breaking through again in the sixth. Seton Hall starter Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) who picked up the victory to improve to 3-3 on the year and finished with a pair of strikeouts, issued a leadoff walk, leading to freshman Lauren Fischer (Robbinsville, N.J.) coming in to relieve her.
Fischer gave up a double to Harrell, putting runners at second and third with no outs and the Pirates still in front just 3-0. From there she locked in, striking out pinch hitter Kaitlyn Duval to start a run of retiring six-straight batters to end the game. She picked up her first-career save in the process.
Although she didn't need it, Fischer did have a little bit more breathing room in the seventh thanks to DeStaso's two-run homer to right center field in the bottom of the sixth. Senior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) led off the frame with a double to left and two batters later DeStaso left the park for the fourth time this year and the 19th time in her career. She is now tied with Jenna Best for seventh place in program history with 19 homers.
Seton Hall 11, Providence 3 (5 inn.)
The Friars clearly turned the page from their game-one loss, jumping out to a 2-0 lead over Seton Hall in just the first half inning of game two as just three batters into the game McKall Miller blasted a two-run shot to left field.
It did not take long for the Pirates to get back into the game, scoring four runs with a two-out rally in the second to take the lead which they never relinquished.
The bases were loaded for sophomore Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.), who singled through the left side to plate Jones and sophomore Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.) and tie the game 2-2. On the very next at-bat Harrell hit a ball to deep left field, bringing two more runs across the plate, with Rabbetts running on contact and coming all the way around from first on the play.
Seton Hall benefitted from a couple of fielding mishaps in the third to score three more and extend the lead to 7-2 and the Pirates really put the game out of reach with three additional runs in the fourth. DeLuca picked up her second base hit of the game and scored on a DeStaso RBI-single to center. When DiPietro loaded the bases with an infield hit to first, Jones put the exclamation point on the win, driving a ball to center field to score DeStaso and Valerie Suto (Mercerville, N.J.) and make it 10-2.
DeStaso threw all five innings for the Hall to improve to 3-3 on the year. After the early trouble she settled in to allow just one more earned run over the final four innings, finishing with three strikeouts.
Seton Hall and Providence will close out their series on Sunday, March 23, at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.\
