Pirates Can't Complete Comeback Against Butler

Saturday, April 22

South Orange, N.J.

2 p.m.

Seton Hall University

19-18, 4-4

Butler

9-29, 2-6

Butler

Seton Hall

4/22/2023 6:39:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BOX SCORE.pdf

South Orange, N.J. - The Seton Hall baseball team trailed by six runs late against Butler and nearly pulled off a come-from-behind win that would have tied the series up but Bulldogs came out on top, 12-10, on Saturday afternoon at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium.

The Pirates (19-18, 4-4 BIG EAST) trailed by six runs, 10-4, entering the bottom of the eighth before scoring six runs all with two outs to tie the score at 10-10. However, Butler pushed home two runs in the ninth to take game two.

Senior Oscar Murray (Brentwood, Calif.) went 4-for-5 with an RBI, two doubles and two runs scored. Graduate student Brennan O'Neill (Morristown, N.J.) helped The Hall by keeping Butler off the scoreboard as he tossed four innings of scoreless relief with five strikeouts.

THE GAME:

The Pirates struck first in the bottom of the first inning as an RBI single by graduate student Alex Clyde (Old Tappan, N.J.) and an RBI fielder's choice for sophomore Pat D'Amico (Lynnfield, Mass.) gave Seton Hall a 2-0 lead. Murray tacked on another run for the Pirates in the second with a double that plated redshirt junior Will Gale (Scotch Plains, N.J.), extending the lead to 3-0.

Butler posted crooked numbers in the third and fourth innings to take a commanding 10-3 lead. After a 1-2-3 frame in O'Neill's first inning of work, redshirt junior Jonathan Luders (Lynnfield, Mass.) registered an RBI groundout in the bottom of the fifth that made it a 10-4 ballgame. O'Neill continued to do his job by fanning the final batters of the seventh and eighth innings that set the stage for a Seton Hall rally.

With Clyde on first and two outs, the Pirates hit six consecutive singles — all of which scored runs off the bats of junior Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.), redshirt junior Staus Pokrovsky (Pittsgrove, N.J.), redshirt junior Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.), Gale and Murray — that cut the deficit to one, 10-9. The very next pitch went to the backstop and Gale scored easily from third base, tying the game up at 10-10. Despite the effort, Butler had answers in the top of the ninth as they plated two runs to take a 12-10 lead.

THE NUMBERS:

Both teams had 14 hits and both registered six-run innings.
The Pirates went 2-for-9 leading off an inning on Saturday and Butler went 4-for-9.
Seton Hall went 9-for-17 with two outs.
The Pirates had five two out RBI and Butler had six two-out RBI.
Butler committed three errors and the Pirates took advantage by scoring runs in the first, second and eighth innings.
Five Pirates had multi-hit games; Murray, Clyde, Sylvester, Hack and Gale.
Murray's four hits are a career high.

UP NEXT:

The Pirates and Bulldogs will wrap up the series tomorrow at 12 p.m. at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium. It's Sunday Sundaes at The Shep. Seton Hall students in attendance will receive free ice cream when they show their SHU ID at the concession stand located adjacent to the parking deck.