Seton Hall University
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Western Michigan
Haefeli Homers Twice in 14-13 Walkoff Win
3/11/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
CLEARWATER, FLA. - The Seton Hall University softball team won a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair against Western Michigan, 14-13, on Tuesday morning in Clearwater. After seeing a two-run lead disappear in the top of the seventh, Seton Hall walked off for a second time this year, thanks to a Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) game-winning RBI.
Driving in the game-winning run was only part of a monster day for the senior slugger, who also belted a pair of home runs with six RBI, for her second multi-home run game of the year.
Early on, it seemed implausible the Pirates would be fighting for a win during the late innings. Western Michigan jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first, then scored four more in the second while Seton Hall had sent just three batters to the plate.
Equipped with an explosive offensive of their own, the Pirates came back, even taking a two-run lead into the seventh inning before Haefeli's walk off sacrifice fly wrapped up the comeback.
Senior Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine), who would eventually score the game winner, led off the SHU half of the second with a walk, then Haefeli sent her first homer of the day over the wall, making it 9-2. The Pirates would send 11 batters to the plate during the inning, the first of two offensive frames SHU was able to bat around on the day.
Junior Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) and Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) both had an RBI base hit, and freshman Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas) score them both with a two-RBI single with two outs.
Seton Hall trailed 10-6 in the fourth when it took another big chunk out of the Western Michigan lead. After Walkden and Valerie Suto (Mercerville, N.J.) executed a double steal to make it 10-7, Haefeli belted her second two-run home run to pull her team within 10-9.
But the Pirates were not done, with another big inning lurking on the horizon. The Broncos did get one run back in the top of the fifth, and led 11-9 before SHU's four-run effort. Four different players recorded an RBI during the frame, and Seton Hall even left the bases loaded at the end of the inning as it took a lead for the first time.
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Seton Hall racked up 19 hits and saw seven players put forth multi-hit efforts. Harrell was 3-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI, and Rabbetts went 3-for-4, scoring twice.
Freshman Lauren Fischer (Robbinsville, N.J.) pitched the final two thirds of the seventh, and earned her fourth win of the season as a result. Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) entered in relief in the first, but gave up 12 hits over her 5.2 innings on the mound with four strikeouts.
Seton Hall will have Thursday off before resuming tournament play with the USF Michelle Smith Spring Break Tournament, held Friday-Sunday, March 13-15. On Friday, the Pirates will face Quinnipiac at 1:45 p.m., and Saint Joseph's at 6:30 p.m.
