Seton Hall University
Texas Southern
Softball Sweeps on Historic Offensive Day
2/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
DENTON, TEXAS - It was a day of historic offensive performances for the Seton Hall University softball team, which issued dominating wins over Texas Southern and North Texas on the second day of the North Texas Invitational. The Pirates cruised to a 10-2 win in five innings over Texas Southern before belting a school-record eight home runs in a 17-6 rout of North Texas, with senior Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) setting a school record with three long balls of her own.
The Pirates improve to 4-0 overall and have been unstoppable offensively all weekend. The previous school record for team home runs in a game was five, set against St. John's on April 15, 2009. That number was surpassed quite easily on Saturday night. No Pirate had ever hit more than two home runs in a game, something that had been accomplished 13 times before, including in that same game by freshman Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas), before Haefeli went deep three times.
The 17 runs scored also broke a school record, which stood at 16 and had been matched on three occasions, most recently against Saint Peter's on April 30, 2013. Even more impressive, Seton Hall needed just six innings to do all of that damage.
The Pirates totaled 11 extra-base hits against North Texas and drove in 17 runs. Nine different players recorded at least one hit, with Walkden and Haefeli both coming up with three extra-base knocks.
So far this weekend, Seton Hall is hitting .374 as a team with 23 extra-base hits for a .813 slugging percentage. The Pirates are outscoring their opposition 42-19.
Seton Hall 10, Texas Southern 2 (5 inn.)
Although she wouldn't need it, sophomore Lauren Fischer (Robbinsville, N.J.) would get plenty of run support in Seton Hall's lopsided win, as the Pirates smacked three home runs, including back-to-back shots to lead off the fourth inning.
After Fischer retired the side in the top of the first, The Hall struck for three runs thanks to doubles in consecutive at-bats. Junior Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.) drove in classmate Faith Laudano (Islip, N.Y.) with a two-bagger, and moments later would score along with senior Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) when Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) cleared the bases with a double of her own.
The game would get interesting, but only briefly, as Texas Southern rallied for two runs in the top of the third to make it 3-2 when Thomasina Garza sent a two-run homer over the wall in right center. Both runs were unearned as there were two outs and Treshea Wilson reached to lead off the inning on an infield error.
The lead ballooned quickly, because Seton Hall struck for four in the bottom half of the frame, with Haefeli blasting a three-run bomb to right center with two outs to make it 7-2; it would be her first of four home runs on the day.
Fischer retired the Tigers in order in the fourth and in Seton Hall's at-bat, Walkden and junior Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) connected for solo home runs to extend the lead to 9-2. The eight-run limit was reached an inning later, as freshman Alyssa Prukop (Coto de Caza, Calif.) singled in Haefeli.
Haefeli, 2-for-3, and Laudano, 2-for-3, recorded multi-hit games for SHU. Fischer allowed just a pair of unearned runs over five innings to pick up her first win of the season, striking out four.
Seton Hall 17, North Texas 6 (6 inn.)
The rout was on in the early going, with the Pirates homering three times before the Mean Green even had a chance to step to the plate. DeStaso homered to center field with one out to make it 3-0 after just four SHU batters entered the box. Haefeli and Jones extended the lead with back-to-back solo shots with two outs, marking the second time on Saturday Seton Hall sent a ball over the wall in consecutive at-bats.
North Texas rallied for four in the second, chasing DeStaso from the mound when Bryana Wade smacked a three-run homer with one out to make it 5-4. Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) came in for relief, and after giving up a single, retired the next two batters to end the inning.
Seton Hall started rebuilding its lead in the next half inning. DeStaso drew a leadoff walk and then Haefeli's second homer came two batters later, making it 7-4.
Four more Pirates would score in the fourth. Walkden homered off Stacey Underwood, who was eventually replaced by Monique Garcia with one out and two on. Laudano was the first batter Garcia faced, and it did not go well for the home team. Laudano hit a three-run shot, and the Pirates led 11-5.
The sixth inning was more of the same for SHU, with the same red hot bats making short work of the North Texas pitchers. First it was Haefeli, breaking the school record with her third home run of the game to make it 14-6. Entering the weekend, Haefeli had 10 home runs in her career, but hit four in one day to power SHU.
Two batters later, Prukop doubled to right, scoring Jones in the process, and then Walkden homered for a second time, breaking the Seton Hall record for runs scored.
Amongst the offensive highlights, Haefeli went 3-for-3 with three homers and six RBI, Walkden was 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI, and DeStaso was 2-for-4 with three runs drivin in and four runs scored.
Moses threw 4.2 innings of relief to earn the win, giving up just one earned run on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.
Seton Hall concludes competition at the North Texas Invitational against Texas Southern on Sunday morning at 10 a.m. (ET).
