Pirates Conclude Series At Xavier With Doubleheader Split

Saturday, May 8

Cincinnati, OH

12 p.m.

Seton Hall University

21-16, 0

Xavier

18-21, 0

Seton Hall

Xavier

Pirates Conclude Series At Xavier With Doubleheader Split

5/8/2021 7:03:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Toke, Shelder-McAvoy propel The Hall to victory to game one

By Mark Mincolelli

CINCINNATI - The Seton Hall baseball team won its 21st game and its Big East-best 14th conference contest of the season in game one, 7-2, but fell just shy in game two despite a late inning rally, 7-6, as the Pirates split a doubleheader with Xavier on Saturday afternoon.

Junior David Festa (Verona, N.J.) improved to 5-2 this season after recording his fourth consecutive victory on the mound for the Pirates, limiting Xavier to just nine baserunners all game one.

Senior Tyler Shedler-McAvoy (Allendale, N.J.) reached base four times out of his eight at-bats through the doubleheader's two contests and registered his second grand slam of the season. Senior Casey Dana (Montgomery, N.Y.) hit his sixth home run of the season and 23rd of his career in game one, tying David Kim for 10th on the program's all-time home run list.

Here's What Happened

Game One

Dana's solo home run served as Seton Hall's only offense through the first six innings against the Musketeers, who held a narrow 2-1 lead heading into the final inning of play.

A stellar pitching performance from Festa kept the game within reach for the Pirates, as the hurler allowed just two earned runs and a pair of Musketeer hits. In his second consecutive seven-inning complete game, the right-hander fanned seven batters, improving his season punchout total to 47 in 12 appearances.

Against the ropes and down to their final three outs, the Pirates mustered up a monster seventh inning in which they plated six runs. Senior Jerry Huntzinger (Staten Island, N.Y.) got the rally started with a one-out single, and with the bases loaded graduate student Matt Toke (Three Bridges, N.J.) gave the Pirates the lead with a two-RBI single into center field, scoring Huntzinger from third, and pinch runner Justin Scotto (Tinton Falls, N.J.) from second base.

With the bases loaded again, Shedler-McAvoy pelted a two-out grand slam over the left field wall, cashing in his fifth long ball of the season as he broke the contest open for the ball club, 7-2. The outfielder now has 23 RBI in 2021.

Seton Hall's six-run inning set the table for Festa to close the door on Xavier in the bottom half of the seventh, giving Seton Hall its sixth win in its last seven Big East matchups.

Game Two

The Musketeers opened the scoring in the first inning with one run, but Seton Hall responded with two in the top of the second inning. Sophomore speedster Will Gale (Scotch Plains, N.J.) sliced a single into center field scoring Toke, and shortly after, junior infielder Alex Clyde (Old Tappan, N.J.) dropped a perfectly-placed bunt that plated Shedler-McAvoy from third base.

Xavier would then score another three runs in the ensuing frame, yet the Pirates had another answer. It would be Clyde again, this time poking an RBI single through the left side of the infield scoring Shedler-McAvoy again, his third run punched on the day.

After three unanswered Musketeer runs yielded them a commanding 7-3 lead, Seton Hall had great ground to cover. Sophomore Jonathan Luders (Lynnfield, Mass.) hit a double that scored David Haberman (Morristown, N.J.) from second base, and back-to-back sacrifice fly balls courtesy of Dana and graduate student Connor Hood (Shrewsbury, PA.) brought the Pirates to within one run of a massive comeback. Xavier would record the final out however, before any more damage could be done, and Seton Hall lost game two, 7-6.

Up Next

Seton Hall heads back home to Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium at Owen T. Carroll Field to face BIG EAST rival Creighton in a four game series from May 14-16. The two teams are currently sitting in first and second place in the BIG EAST.