Seton Hall University
North Carolina
Baseball Drops Season Opener at UNC, 7-1
2/13/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - The Seton Hall baseball team opened the 2015 season with a 7-1 loss at North Carolina on Friday.
Senior Kyle Grimm (Bergenfield, N.J.) and junior Derek Jenkins (Annandale, N.J.) had two hits apiece. Grimm's double was the Pirates' lone extra-base hit.
As a team, the Pirates matched the Tar Heels with nine hits, but the timely hit with runners in scoring position eluded The Hall all game.
North Carolina (1-0) used the long ball to strike early against Seton Hall starter Luke Cahill (Tinton Falls, N.J.). After retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the first inning, Cahill gave up a single to UNC's Skye Bolt and Tyler Ramirez followed with a two-run home run over the right-center field fence. In the second inning, Joe Dudek added a solo home run to virtually the same spot to give the Tar Heels a 3-0 lead. After a walk, Cahill showed discomfort and was replaced by Sam Burum (Robbinsville, N.J.). Burum retired the next two batters to prevent further damage, but the Pirates found themselves in a 3-0 hole through two innings.
Seton Hall (0-1) finally broke through on UNC starter Trent Thornton in the top of the fourth. Zack Weigel (Oak Park, Ill.) walked to lead off and Grimm doubled off the right-center field wall, but Weigel was thrown out at the plate to keep the Pirates temporarily off the scoreboard. Sal Annunziata (Bronx, N.Y.) however, singled up the middle, Grimm scored from second, and the Pirates cut the Tar Heel lead to 3-1. Tyler Boyd (Succasunna, N.J.) followed with a single, advancing Annunziata to second. But with D.J. Ruhlman (Belle Mead, N.J.) at the plate, Annunziata and Boyd took off. Annunziata stopped and retreated to second, but Boyd kept running and was eventually tagged out. Ruhlman subsequently struck out and the Pirates had to settle for only one run despite the first four batters of the inning reached base.
After North Carolina got the run back off Burum in the bottom of the fourth, Seton Hall had another scoring opportunity in the top of the fifth. Both Chris Chiaradio (Teaneck, N.J.) and Jackson Martin (Collegeville, Pa.) walked to put two runners on with just one out. It chased UNC starter Trent Thornton, but Chiaradio and Martin were stranded and UNC's 4-1 lead was upheld.
North Carolina added a run in the fifth and two more in the seventh to give them a 7-1 advantage. The Pirates put two runners on base with one out in both the fifth and eighth innings, but stranded them both times.
Burum's effort can't be over-stated. The junior pitched all 6.2 innings of the game after Cahill left in the second inning and gave up four runs. It's a significant performance with a double-header looming on Saturday.
Freshman Ryan Ramiz (Freehold, N.J.) made his collegiate debut with a strikeout as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.
Seton Hall will complete its three-game series with North Carolina tomorrow with a double-header. First pitch of the first game is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
