The Seton Hall Pirates returned home from a 6-game road trip, recording a 4-2 record, and started their home schedule strong with a 15-5 win over the Wagner Seahawks.
After shutting the Seahawks down in the first inning, the Pirates pounced on Wagner starting pitcher Will Saxenmeyer, putting up three runs in the first inning. Graduate student Danny Melnick drove in senior catcher Staus Pokrovsky with an RBI triple down the right field line. A wild pitch drove in Melnick, and an error from Wagner catcher David Melfi brought in a second run on the play.
The Pirate offense didn’t stop there, as graduate outfielder Kyle Lyons drove in junior Pat D’Amico, which officially ended Saxenmeyer’s day on the mound. The Hall tallied four more runs that inning, with RBI’s from Pokrovsky, junior shortstop Jonathan Luders, senior third basemen Zach Sylvester, and sophomore Nick Ferri.
Pirates’ starter Jayson Torres didn’t fare much better, going just two and 2/3 innings while walking five batters and giving up three earned runs. Sophomore Carter Kelsey ended the third inning and pitched the fourth, giving up two hits and an unearned run in the process.
After three scoreless innings, the Hall rebounded. Pokrovsky and Sylvester each drove in a pair of runs, with Pokrovsky hitting a double down the left field line and Sylvester knocking a triple to right center field. Ferri also drove in Sylvester with a ground out to the third baseman.
Pokrovsky once again came through big, as he hit a mammoth solo home run to left field, marking his bomb of the year. An RBI single from junior Ryan Frontera, the first of his career, sealed the game.
Both teams used six pitchers, with Pirates pitchers combining for seven strikeouts and six hits given up. Wagner pitchers combined to give up 15 runs of which 13 were earned and 13 hits while striking out seven batters.
Pokrovsky went 3-for-5 with four RBI’s and finished a triple shy of the cycle. Sylvester followed shortly behind him, going 2-for-3 with a triple and three RBI’s.
The Pirates improve to 5-2 on the year and will spend the next two weekends in Florida, with a four-game series starting Friday against Florida International in Miami and a three-game series against North Florida in Jacksonville to follow.
John Misiewicz writes for The Setonian’s sports section. He can be reached at john.misiewicz@student.shu.edu.
