The Pirates celebrated senior day, but were unable to gain a win in their final home series against DePaul at Mike Sheppard Sr. Field on Sunday.

A solo home run by the opposing pitcher, Kristen Verdun of DePaul, in the top of the first inning put the Pirates behind early.

Verdun went 2-2 in the game with two runs.

Freshman pitcher Danielle DeStaso threw a complete game on the mound for the Pirates, but had no run support causing the 3-0 loss in the last game of the series.

DeStaso gave up two earned runs on just four hits. The third run came following a wild pitch resulting in a double steal by the Blue Devils and an error on an attempted cutoff throw.

She now has a 5-13 record on the year.

After the game the team honored their senior players: utility player Laura Canulli, catcher and first baseman Kristen Kaelin, and catcher Nicole Loewenstein.

Canulli finishes the season with a .239 batting average and .304 slugging percentage. In her final home game she went 0-1 at the plate along while earning two walks.

Kaelin is leading the team in batting average batting 331 in 50 games played. She is also the leader in home runs with seven. Kaelin finished the game with one of the four Pirates’ hits in three at bats.

Loewenstein, who is recognized by her coaches for her control behind the plate, has started in all fifty games for the Pirates this season. She has the second highest fielding percentage on the team with .981 percent. Loewenstein matched Kaelin with one hit in three at bats in the seniors’ last hurrah in South Orange.

Coaches have spoken of the leadership of these seniors throughout the season.

Seton Hall played two close games Saturday losing by just one run, 4-3, in the first and falling by the score of 4-2 in the second.

The first game of the double header was brought to nine innings, where the score was tied 3-3 at the start of the ninth.

DeStaso went all nine innings allowing a bloop single with two outs followed a by single to center off of the bat of Samantha Dodd of the Blue Devils.

In the second game of the day, within the first five innings, DePaul got a one run on two occasions that Seton Hall fought back on. The score was tied at two going into the top of the seventh inning.

Verdun started the seventh with her first of two homeruns in the series.

This homerun put the Blue Devils in front for good, despite a late inning surge from the Pirates.

Two players were hit by pitches, which eventually brought the tying run to the plate. DePaull pitcher Hannah Penna was able to refocus and cause a pop up on ground ball to end the rally for Seton Hall.

 

The Pirates will finish out their regular season with a series at Villanova next weekend starting with a doubleheader Saturday May, 5 at noon.