Cal Baptist Takes Series Opener From Seton Hall

Friday, March 3

Riverside, CA

9 p.m.

Seton Hall University

3-4

California Baptist

4-5

Seton Hall

California Baptist

Zack Sylvester gets set in the infield against Northwestern State in Sugar Land, Texas

Photo by: Kristina Bonner

3/4/2023 12:13:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Riverside, Calif. - Despite jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the third inning, the Seton Hall baseball team could not hold on to its early advantage as the Pirates dropped the series opener to Cal Baptist, 13-4, on Friday evening.

Graduate student Brennan O'Neill (Morristown, N.J.) had a season-high six strikeouts but took the loss for the Pirates (3-4). Junior Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) had an RBI single and sophomore Pat D'Amico (Lynnfield, Mass.) continued his strong start to the season with a two-run double. Graduate student Alex Nicolosi (Stony Point, N.Y.) struck out three in two scoreless innings of relief work.

How It Happened

The Pirates got on the board first for the third consecutive game in the top of the third inning. With one on, junior Mark McNelly (Limerick, Pa.) moved graduate student Alex Clyde (Old Tappan, N.J.) to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sylvester drove Clyde in for the game's first run on an RBI single through the right side. There were two on and one out for D'Amico who sent a 3-0 pitch to the wall in right field that cleared the bases and extended Seton Hall's lead to 3-0. An RBI groundout from junior Staus Pokrovsky (Pittsgrove, N.J.) made 4-0 in favor of the Pirates.

Cal Baptist wasted no time climbing back into the game as they pushed across three runs in the home half of the third and seven more runs in the fourth to take a commanding 10-4 lead. With the Lancers leading 13-4 in the ninth, the Pirates showed some life. After freshman Nick Ferri (Flemington, N.J.) scored on a passed ball, an RBI single by Clyde and a sac fly RBI from McNelly further chipped into the deficit making it 13-7, but it wouldn't be enough as The Hall couldn't extend the game.

News & Notes

Redshirt junior Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) registered his 100th career hit on a base hit in the seventh inning.
D'Amico now has a team-best eight RBI on the season.
Sylvester has tallied eight hits early in the season, the most on the team.
O'Neill's six strikeouts is a person best this season and the most this season by a Seton Hall pitcher.
Seton Hall pitchers struck out 13 Lancers, a season high.
Ferri made his second career appearance as a pinch hitter in the top of the seventh where he drew a walk.

Up Next

Seton Hall will look to even the series tomorrow evening as the Pirates face the Lancers at 8 p.m. Eastern. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.