No. 20 Iowa Gets By Pirates On Opening Day

Friday, February 16

Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

5 p.m.

Seton Hall University

0-1

Iowa

1-0

Iowa

Seton Hall

Huddle shot before baseball game vs. Northwestern State

2/16/2024 9:30:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Mt. Pleasant, S.C. -- Sophomore Nick Ferri (Flemington, N.J.) registered his first career multi-hit game going 2-for-2 graduate student Jackson Balzan (Medford, N.J.) struck out seven in four innings of relief but the Seton Hall baseball team couldn't overcome No. 20 Iowa as the Hawkeyes defeated the Pirates, 5-2, in the first game of the Swig & Swine Classic.

Dan Frontera (Red Bank, N.J.) started the ballgame for the Pirates and took the loss despite collecting six strikeouts in 3.2 innings. Senior Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) and graduate student Kyle Lyons (West Chester, Pa.) both had RBIs for The Hall.

How It Happened

After Frontera struck out the first batter of the 2024 season, Iowa got on the board with a solo home run. The Pirates put two runners on in the bottom half of the first but couldn't scratch a run across as Frontera settled in and blanked the Hawkeyes in the top of the second inning. In the bottom of the second, Hack reached on an RBI fielder's choice that scored senior Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) and tied the score at 1-1.

The Hawkeyes got a run back in the third and posted a crooked number in the top of the fourth with three more runs to take a commanding 5-1 lead. After Balzan worked his first scoreless frame in the top of the sixth, Sylvester drew a one-out walk and stole second base. Sylvester then moved to third on a groundout and he was driven in by Lyons, making it 5-2 Hawkeyes.

Balzan continued to deal as he struck out the side in the seventh and retired the side in order in the eighth. In the bottom of the ninth, Ferri led off the inning with a double to left center field back-to-back one out walks loaded the bases for Seton Hall but Iowa shut the door as it struck out the next two Pirates to end the game.

Up Next

The Pirates will play their second game of the Swig & Swine Classic tomorrow as they take on Michigan State at 12 p.m. For more information, go to the baseball schedule page on SHUPirates.com.