Pirates Clinch Series vs. Butler In Game Two Win

Saturday, April 10

South Orange, N.J.

2 p.m.

Seton Hall University

9-13, 2-1

Butler

6-11, 1-2

Butler

Seton Hall

4/10/2021 9:32:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Hall used three runs in the seventh inning to separate themselves from the Bulldogs

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall baseball team clinched its initial BIG EAST series of the season on Saturday as the Pirates took the nightcap of a doubleheader against Butler, 7-4.

Despite falling in game one, 7-4, Seton Hall (10-13, 3-1 BIG EAST) has now won four of its last six games. Junior Nick Payero (2-1) earned the victory in the second game after striking out five in two innings of relief work while senior Hunter Waldis (Naples, Fla.) registered his second save in as many days.

Senior Casey Dana (Montgomery, N.Y.) had a team-best three hits including two doubles in the doubleheader and senior Matt Toke (Three Bridges, N.J.) drove in four runs. Junior Justin Scotto (Tinton Falls, N.J.) hit his first home run as a Pirate in the second game of the twin bill.

Game One

Butler jumped on the Seton Hall pitching early as the Bulldogs plated seven runs over the game's first three innings.

After freshman Drew Conover (Pittstown, N.J.) worked a shutdown inning in the top fourth that featured consecutive strikeouts, sophomore Aaron Groller (Harleysville, Pa.) came on in relief and retired the side in the fifth.

In the home half of the fifth, the Pirates cut the deficit to three, 7-4, on an RBI single off the bat of sophomore Jonathan Luders (Lynnfield, Mass.), an RBI double by Dana and a two-run single courtesy of Toke. Groller kept Butler off the scoreboard in the sixth and seventh innings that kept Seton Hall in the game and despite the Pirates putting two runners in the ninth, they couldn't extend the game.

Game Two

The nightcap was a dramatic affair that saw The Hall take an early advantage, lose the lead, and deliver with the go-ahead runs late.

The Pirates started off the game by capitalizing on a Butler error following a successful sacrifice bunt by Luders where senior Jerry Huntzinger (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored all the way from first. After going first to third on a single by Dana, Toke drove in Luders to give the Pirates an early 2-0 advantage.

Seton Hall tacked on two more runs in the bottom of fourth that made it 4-0 thanks to a deep two-run home run over the right field fence off the bat of Scotto.

The Bulldogs got to starter David Festa (Verona, N.J.) in the next frame as they trimmed the Seton Hall lead to two, 4-2. They registered two more runs in the sixth and seventh innings to tie the game at 4-4 before the the Pirates pieced a big response in the home half of the seventh.

With one out, Huntzinger rocketed a single to center field and proceeded to steal second base – his 16th swipe of the season – and Luders followed with a walk. Dana then stepped to plate and delivered a bases clearing double that put Seton Hall back in front, 6-4. Toke was the next batter and he provided an insurance run with an RBI double of his own that plated Dana and made it 7-4.

Butler threatened again in the top of the eighth as they loaded the bases with two outs but Waldis came out of the bullpen to record the final out on a swinging strikeout. In the top of the ninth, Waldis led off the innings with his second punchout of the night before retiring the final two batters in order to give the Pirates the 7-4.

Up Next

The Pirates' next nine games will be on the road starting with a midweek contest at Wagner on Wednesday, April 14.