Seton Hall University
Villanova
Elia, Baseball Edge Villanova, 3-2
5/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
BOX SCORE (.html) | BOX SCORE (.pdf) 
PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA. -- Senior Anthony Elia (Flanders, N.J.) pitched eight innings and gave up just two earned runs as the Seton Hall baseball team defeated Villanova, 3-2, in the first game of a double-header on Saturday.
Elia struck out seven batters and didn't issue a walk to improve to 3-2 on the season.
Senior Sal Annunziata (Bronx, N.Y.) continued his late season surge. The first baseman reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Classmate Kyle Grimm (Bergenfield, N.J.) went 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.
With two outs and the bases empty in the top of the first inning, back-to-back doubles by Grimm and Annunziata plated the first run of the game and gave The Hall a 1-0 lead. Annunziata's double is the 47th of his career and moves him into a tie with A.J. Rusbarsky for fourth on the Pirates' all-time list.
In the top of the third inning, Seton Hall struck for another run. Zack Weigel (Oak Park, Ill.) led off with a double down the right field line. He moved to second on a groundout by Joe Poduslenko (Glen Mills, Pa.) and came in to score on a groundout by Grimm to extend the Pirates' lead to 2-0.
Meanwhile, Elia was rolling. The left-hander surrendered only one hit through the first four innings, but ran into trouble in the fifth. A pair of singles and an error allowed Villanova to get on the scoreboard and cut the Pirates' lead in half. But Seton Hall got the run back right away in the top of the sixth. Annunziata led off the inning with his third hit of the game, a double to left field, and advanced to third on a ground out by Boyd. Annunziata then scored on an error by the Wildcat center fielder to give The Hall a 3-1 lead. Alex Falconi (Freeport, N.Y.) and Ryan Ramiz (Freehold, N.J.) pulled off a double-steal to put two runners in scoring position with two outs, but Derek Jenkins (Annandale, N.J.) grounded out to end the inning and the Pirates had to settle for just one run.
Villanova again cut the lead to one with a run in the bottom of the eighth inning, but couldn't get closer.
Sophomore Joe DiBenedetto (Staten Island, N.Y.) entered the game in the ninth and retired the Wildcats to earn his third save of the season.
Seton Hall will return to action next Friday, May 15 as the Pirates complete the 2015 regular season with the first of three games against Georgetown at Owen T. Carroll Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
| LINE SCORE | ||||||||||||
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| SETON HALL (22-21, 7-7) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 1 |
| Villanova (20-25, 6-8) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Win - Anthony Elia (3-2) Loss - Ryan Doty (2-7) Save - Joe DiBenedetto (3)
