Pirates Can't Overcome Four-Run First Inning

Friday, March 9

Boca Raton, Fla.

6:30 PM

Seton Hall University

5-6

Florida Atlantic

9-4

Seton Hall

Florida Atlantic

3/9/2018 11:25:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score HOME INFO BOX SCORE

BOCA RATON, FLA. – Pitchers Shane McCarthy (Fair Haven, N.J.) and Billy Layne, Jr. (Cliffwood Beach, N.J.) kept Florida Atlantic scoreless for the final eight innings, but the Seton Hall baseball team couldn't recover from allowing a four-run first inning in a 4-2 loss on Friday.

Despite allowing a big first inning, the Pirates' offense had their share of scoring opportunities throughout the game, but they left a season-high 13 men on base. In both the sixth and eighth innings, The Hall left the bases full, scoring only one run in those two innings combined.

Seton Hall collected 12 hits, but only had two runs to show for them. Four Pirates, Rob Dadona (Staten Island, N.Y.), Christian Del Castillo (Miami, Fla.), Al Molina (Freehold, N.J.) and Ryan Ramiz (Freehold, N.J.), had two hits apiece.

Turning Point:
In the bottom of the first inning, the first four Florida Atlantic batters had hits against McCarthy, which included two doubles. With the score 3-0, a fifth hit, followed by a sacrifice fly plated the Owls' fourth run.

From there, McCarthy was brilliant, scattering just three hits over the next five innings, but the damage had been done.

Inside the Numbers:

Layne, Jr. turned in one of his finest outings as a Pirate. The right-hander tossed two hitless innings with four strikeouts and no walks.
Del Castillo reached base three times, going 2-for-3 with a walk. Dadona went 2-for-5 with a run scored. Molina was 2-for-5 with a double.
Ramiz went 2-for-4 with an RBI. He drove in the Pirates' second run of the game with an RBI single in the eighth inning.
Junior Sebastiano Santorelli (Tuckahoe, N.Y.) plated the Pirates' first run with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning.
McCarthy fell to 0-3 with the loss. He allowed four runs over a season-high six innings with four strikeouts and only one walk.
Seton Hall had 12 hits, while Florida Atlantic had eight. Both teams committed two errors.
Seton Hall left a season-high 13 men on base, while Florida Atlantic left seven.
Florida Atlantic's Jake Miednik earned the victory. He allowed just one unearned run over 5.0 innings.

News & Notes:

The loss drops the Pirates to 5-6 on the young season, while Florida Atlantic improves to 9-4.
Seton Hall falls to 2-4 all-time against Florida Atlantic.
McCarthy made his 41^st career start today, which passes Tim Byron and former teammate Zach Prendergast for fifth all-time at Seton Hall.
Today was the sixth time this season that the Pirates have reached double-figures in hits. It's also the third straight game with at least 10 hits and the fourth time in the last five games.
Seton Hall's team batting average is up to a season-high .260.
With a hit today, sophomore Matt Toke (Three Bridges, N.J.) has recorded a hit in 20 of his last 22 games, stretching back to the end of last season.

Next Up:
Seton Hall will return to action tomorrow when it continues its three-game series at Florida Atlantic in Boca Raton, Fla. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.