Seton Hall University
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Western Michigan
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Softball Edged by Western Michigan in 10 Inn.
3/10/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CLEARWATER, FLA. - The Seton Hall University softball team was edged by Western Michigan University, 4-3, in extra innings on Tuesday morning in Clearwater, Fla. The Pirates took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the 10th inning, but the Broncos scored an unearned run then brought the game winner home on a sacrifice fly to come away with a one-run win.
The game was decided using the international tiebreaking rules. Once the contest reached the eighth inning, each team started its at bat with a runner on second base.
In the top of the 10th, Jackie DiPietro (Horsham, Pa.) was placed at second for The Hall, and Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her over to third with one out. Sophomore Valeries Suto (Mercerville, N.J.) came through with what Seton Hall hoped would be the game-winning RBI, but the Pirates were unable to hold onto their lead.
In the Western Michigan half of the 10th, SHU mishandled the Broncos' sacrifice bunt attempt, resulting in runners at the corners with no outs. A Jenny Rohn double scored Ivy Schaaf to tie the game, leaving Tyler Sanicki, who should have been out on the previous bunt attempt, standing at third base. Melissa Palmer flew out to right, but Sanicki tagged up, and came home safely to end the game.
Senior Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.), who entered in relief in the third inning, had one of her best outings of the year, giving up just a pair of unearned runs with five strikeouts over 7.0 innings.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first, Seton Hall rallied behind Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas) in the top of the sixth. Suto led off the inning with a base hit and then with one out Walkden smacked her team-leading eighth home run of the season, tying the score at 2-2.
Walkden also recorded a double on the day, finishing 3-for-5 at the plate. With eight homers already this year, she is just one shy of cracking the top-10 for a single season at Seton Hall.
The Pirates will have a shot to avenge their loss, when they match up with Western Michigan for a second time on Wednesday morning. First pitch in Clearwater is scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
