
Seton Hall Splits Season-Opening Doubleheader Against Hofstra
2/21/2021 7:31:00 PM | Baseball
Pirates rally to win game one in walk-off fashion
Junior Joe Cinnella (Mahwah, N.J.) earned the win for the Pirates in game one that was won in walk-off fashion when senior Jerry Huntzinger (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored on a wild pitch. Game one was played in seven innings and the nightcap was played in nine.
What Happened:
Seton Hall used three runs over the final two innings to grind its way to a 3-2 walk-off win over Hofstra in game one.
Huntzinger went 2-for-4 from the lead-off spot and scored the game-winning run off of a wild pitch in the seventh inning for the Pirates (1-1). Senior Casey Dana (Montgomery, N.Y) picked up a base hit and registered an RBI in the win.
Trialing 2-0 entering the bottom of the sixth, Dana led off the inning with a base hit, advanced to second on a flyout and moved to third on a wild pitch. Junior Alex Clyde (Old Tappan, N.J.) sent him home and tied the game 1-1 with a sacrifice fly.
After a one-two-three inning from Cinnella – who earned the win on the mound after tossing 3.1 innings of scoreless relief – Jace Baqui (Wailuku, Hawai'i) struck out but reached first on a one-out wild pitch. A throwing error on the third baseman allowed Huntzinger to reach first and Baqui to move to second that brought Tyler Shedler-McAvoy (Allendale, N.J.) to the plate. Shedler-McAvoy then sent a grounder to the second baseman that was bobbled and it allowed the tying run to score, 2-2.
With two outs and Dana at the plate, Huntzinger darted home and scored on a wild pitch that went to the backstop, giving the Pirates the 3-2 win.
In the second game, Huntzinger led off the bottom of the first inning with a base hit and he was driven home on an RBI triple by Shedler-McAvoy that gave The Hall an early 1-0 lead.
The Pride tied up the score at 1-1 in the third inning on an RBI single but the Pirates responded with an RBI sac fly by Shedler-McAvoy that plated Huntzinger again in the home half making it 2-1 Seton Hall.
A two-run go-ahead home run by Hofstra in the seventh proved to be the difference maker though as they shut the door on The Hall and forced a split of the doubleheader.
Notes:
- Following his three-bagger in the second game, Shedler-McAvoy now has 12 career triples, putting him into a tie for fourth on the program's all-time triple list with Zack Weigel and Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Famers Dana Brown and Marteese Robinson.
- Huntzinger went 4-for-8 with three runs scored and three stolen bases on the day.
- Overall, the Pirates were a perfect 6-for-6 on the base paths over the two games.
- In his fourth career start, junior Cole Patten (Manasquan, N.J.) struck out seven batters, one shy of matching his career high.
- The win marked the first career victory for Joe Cinnella.
Up Next:
The Pirates return to action this upcoming weekend when they travel to Boca Raton, Fla., for a three-game series at Florida Atlantic.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cinnella, Joe (1-0)
L: Mikolaicyk, John (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Gauthier, Austin 1
RBI: Goulard, Brian 1
SF: Goulard, Brian 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gauthier, Austin 1 ; D'Onofrio, Anthony 1
SB: D'Onofrio, Anthony 1 ; Morash, Ryan 1 ; Bruggeman, Kevin 1
HBP: Sica, Alex 1 ; Bruggeman, Kevin 1

Batting:
RBI: Clyde, Alex 1
SF: Clyde, Alex 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Huntzinger, Jerry 1 ; Dana, Casey 1 ; Baqui, Jace 1
SB: Huntzinger, Jerry 1 ; Shedler-McAvoy, Tyler 1
HBP: Dana, Casey 1