Seton Hall University
Villanova
Haefeli, Rabbetts Power Hall Past 'Nova 7-6
3/30/2015 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Senior Sara Haefeli (Montclair, N.J.) and junior Alex Rabbetts (Corona, Calif.) each homered in the first inning and the Seton Hall softball team held off a late Villanova charge to pick up a 7-6 win and a three-game series sweep on Monday afternoon at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field.
Villanova ace Kate Poppe limited the Pirates (14-18, 3-3) to just five hits in a 3-1 SHU win on Sunday afternoon, but she did give up a pair of home runs, and the long ball proved to be her Achilles heel again on Monday as two big-time blasts allowed the Pirates to jump out to a 5-1 lead.
Poppe, who fell to 4-10, was unable to make it out of the first inning against The Hall. Yielding a leadoff single to Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.), who extended her current hitting streak to five-straight games and is now batting a blistering .611 in conference play, and a walk to freshman Alexis Walkden (Cibolo, Texas), Poppe faced Haefeli with one out in the first, and Haefeli lined a three-run shot over the wall in left field.
The homer was the 10th of the season for Haefeli and the 20th of her career. She moved into a tie with Walkden for the BIG EAST lead in home runs, and both are tied for fifth place at The Hall for home runs in a single season. Haefeli has needed just 32 games this year to double her home run output from her first three seasons at Seton Hall, and now sits in a tie for sixth all-time in homers.
The Seton Hall offense was not done. Poppe gave up a hit to Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) and then Rabbetts stepped to the plate and skied a two-run shot over the center field wall, her second of the year.
At that point Brette Lawrence came in to relieve Poppe, getting the final two outs of the inning, but the damage was done.
It was DeStaso that started on the mound for SHU, and after giving up a leadoff homer to Brittany Husk in the top of the first, she settled in before finding trouble again in the fourth. DeStaso loaded the bases with two outs, and Lauren Fischer (Robbinsville, N.J.) came for relief. Husk delivered again for the Wildcats, this time with a two-run double down the line in right, before Fischer shut down the threat.
The Pirates took advantage of a Villanova error in the fourth to tack on two more runs that proved to be critical by the end of the game. With two outs, Husk dropped a sky high Walkden fly ball that drifted out toward center field. Heads up running around the base paths allowed Harrell to score, and then a wild pitch led to Whitney Jones (Skowhegan, Maine) scoring from third.
Villanova again fought back, drawing within one behind a pair of RBI hits in the top of the fifth. Fischer was relieved by Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) who extinguished the threat with two quick outs, ending the inning. She went on to pick up her second save in as many days, throwing 2.2 innings and giving up just two base hits.
Harrell, who was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll earlier in the day, went 3-for-4 with two runs scored and a stolen base in the leadoff spot. Haefeli went 2-for-3 and made four grabs during a strong defensive day in center field.
Seton Hall returns to action next Monday, April 6, when it makes up its series at Providence College. The teams will play a doubleheader on Monday, starting at 1 p.m., with the finale to follow Tuesday morning at 11 a.m.
