DeVito Dominant Again as Pirates Edge Villanova

Saturday, April 28

South Orange, N.J.

1:00 PM

Seton Hall University

19-15-1, 7-1

Villanova

6-28, 0-8

Villanova

Seton Hall

4/28/2018 8:47:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Sophomore Ricky DeVito (Staten Island, N.Y.) pitched six scoreless innings as the Seton Hall baseball team edged Villanova, 2-1, on Saturday.

DeVito scattered just three hits over six shutout innings and struck out a career-high nine batters to improve to 3-1 on the season. Senior Matt Leon (Bethlehem, Pa.) secured the one-run victory by pitching a scoreless ninth inning for his BIG EAST-leading seventh save of the season.

The game was a pitchers' duel from the start with both DeVito and Villanova's Ryan Doty combining for only five hits through the first five scoreless innings. The Pirates however, finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the sixth inning. Junior Sebastiano Santorelli (Tuckahoe, N.Y.) led off with a double to right field, and came in to score on an RBI single by Al Molina (Freehold, N.J.). After a bunt single by Ryan Ramiz (Freehold, N.J.), Tyler Shedler-McAvoy (Allendale, N.J.) doubled down the left field line to score Molina and give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the eighth inning, two Pirate errors led to an unearned run for Villanova, but reliever Corey Sawyer (Kearny, N.J.) was able to limit the damage to just one run, before handing the ball to Leon for the ninth.

Inside the Numbers:

DeVito scattered just three hits over six shutout innings. He struck out a career-high nine batters and walked only three to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Leon worked a scoreless ninth inning to collect his seventh save of the season.
Molina went 2-for-4 with his BIG EAST-leading 15^th double of the season, an RBI and a run scored.
Shedler-McAvoy went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Seton Hall turned two double plays in the game.
Both teams had seven hits. Seton Hall committed two errors, while the Wildcats had none.
Seton Hall left seven men on base, while Villanova left 10.
Villanova's Ryan Doty took the hard-luck loss. He pitched a complete game, allowing just two runs over eight innings. He struck out 11 batters.

News & Notes:

The victory improves Seton Hall to 19-15-1 overall and 7-1 in BIG EAST play, while Villanova falls to 6-28 overall and 0-8 in the conference.
Seton Hall is now 86-43 all-time against Villanova. Furthermore, the Pirates have now won 15 of the last 17 games with the Wildcats.
The Hall has won seven of its first eight BIG EAST Conference games for the first time since winning 13 of its first 14 games in 1989.
DeVito hasn't allowed a run in his last 14 innings pitched. His earned run average is down to 1.66 for the season.
DeVito set a new career-high in strikeouts in back-to-back starts. He struck out what was a career-high eight batters last week at Butler. Tonight, he struck out nine Wildcats.
Seton Hall struck out 12 batters tonight. It's the 12^th time this season that the Pirates have reached double-figures in strikeouts.
Today's appearance is the 80^th of Leon's career, which passes former teammate Sam Burum for fifth place on the Pirates career list.
Leon's save is the 11^th of his career. He passes Chris Noonan for fifth-most in Seton Hall history. Furthermore, he is only two away from tying the single-season record for saves.
Seton Hall improves to 5-2 on the season in one-run games.

Next Up:
Seton Hall will return to action tomorrow when it concludes its three-game series against BIG EAST rival Villanova at Owen T. Carroll Field. First pitch is scheduled for Noon.