Contributions From Many Lead to Seton Hall Sweep at St. John's

Sunday, May 8

Queens, N.Y.

11 AM

Seton Hall University

19-23, 8-14

St. John's

12-34, 5-17

Seton Hall

St. John's

Olivia Gilbert Hitting at the Plate vs. DePaul

Contributions From Many Lead to Seton Hall Sweep at St. John's

5/8/2022 7:14:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 SOFTBALL GAME 1 BOX (PDF)SOFTBALL GAME 2 BOX (PDF)

Jamaica, N.Y. - On the last day of the regular season, the Seton Hall softball team got contributions from multiple players and had some late-game heroics to lift the Pirates to a doubleheader sweep of St. John's Sunday at Red Storm Field. In game one, the Pirates topped the Red Storm, 5-4 in eight innings, and in game two, the Pirates won, 4-2.

Freshman Olivia Gilbert (Johnston, R.I.) homered in the first game, Taylor Hill (Little Falls, N.J.) went 4-for-7 across the doubleheader, junior Taylor Soanes (Missouri City, Texas) had the game-winning hit in the second game, and The Hall got strong complete games out of junior Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas) and sophomore Sydney Babik (Gilbert, Ariz.).

Seton Hall completes the season at 20-23 overall and 9-14 in BIG EAST play and its 12-8 record in true road games marks the program's first winning road record since 2015 and most road wins in a season since 2004.

Game One How It Happened
It was a pitcher's duel in the early going between Smith and St. John's starter Hannah Mearns with just one combined base hit from both teams through the first four innings. The Pirates finally broke out in the fifth; junior Abby Wingo (Portland, Ore.) reached on an error and then Gilbert launched a 1-1 pitch to center field for her first career home run, giving The Hall a 2-0 lead.

St. John's got one back in the sixth inning and then tied the game in the seventh. The Red Storm had the winning run on third with two outs, but Smith calmly coaxed a groundout to send the game to extra innings.

In the eighth, the Pirates had a two-out rally. With junior Ashly Colonnetta (Cypress, Calif.) on first, Hill reached on an infield single to set up first and second for Wingo, who drilled an RBI double to score Colonnetta. Then freshman Jenna Blevins (Flat Rock, Mich.) came up huge with an insurance opposite field single to right to plate Hill and Wingo and give the Pirates a 5-2 lead.

That insurance proved critical as St. John's right fielder Kaitlyn Lologo hit a two-out, two-run homer to slice the Pirates lead down to one, 5-4. Smith again settled down though and struck out Anna Freveletti to end the game and give The Hall the victory.

Game Two How It Happened
This time Seton Hall jumped out to a lead early as Hill smacked an opposite field triple in the first inning that scored Smith and put the Pirates on top 1-0. In the fourth, Gilbert doubled, junior Miranda Arruda (Pawcatuck, R.I.) pinch ran for her and scored when sophomore Hannah Alexander (Wrightstown, N.J.) singled to right-center, making it 2-0.

In the circle, Babik cruised through the first five innings, allowing just five baserunners over the first five innings, including just two hits. Then St. John's tied the game up in the sixth on a wild pitch and a two-out single, but Babik again made pitches when she needed them, getting a strikeout to end the threat.

Smith doubled to lead off the top of the seventh and was pinch-run for by freshman Amber Johnson (Belfair, Wash.). Hill singled and moved Johnson to third, and Hill then stole second. After an out, Blevins then walked to load the bases. After St. John's picked up the second out of the inning, Soanes was sent to the plate to pinch hit. She made a great adjustment in the at-bat and blooped an opposite field single to left on a 1-2 pitch. Johnson scored easily, and then Hill came around and did a great job evading the tag for the second run, giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead.

In the bottom of the inning, Babik worked around a leadoff single to finish the game and complete the Pirates sweep on the day.

Numbers & Notes

Seton Hall finishes the season 20-23 overall and 9-14 in BIG EAST play. The conference record was good for sixth place in the standings.
The Pirates also finished with a 12-8 record in true road games; it's the program's first winning road record since the Pirates were 8-5 in 2015. And the 12 road wins are the most the program's had since winning 20 in 2004 (20-6).
Hill was the top hitter on the day, going 4-for-7 at the plate with a triple, a walk, two runs scored and one RBI. She was stellar in BIG EAST play, hitting .449 with 16 extra-base hits, 15 runs scored and 25 RBI in 23 conference games.
Gilbert was 3-for-7 at the plate and provided the power with a home run and double.
Wingo also had a double on the day and matched Hill with two runs scored.
Smith's lone hit on the day was a double and she pitched a complete game in game one, allowing four runs on eight hits over eight innings. She walked four and struck out five. Smith now has
Babik was also solid in the circle with a complete game. She allowed just two runs on six hits over seven innings, walking on and striking out five.
This was Seton Hall's first appearance at St. John's since 2018, and it's the first time the Pirates swept a road doubleheader at St. John's since April 10, 2010.
Seton Hall trails the all-time series 59-28.