Seton Hall baseball won their weekend series against Brown University, taking two of three games after strong pitching performances helped the Pirates (7-8) secure the series win ahead of non-conference action.
SHU opened the series with a 5-2 win on Friday at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Stadium at Owen T. Carroll Field. After falling behind early, the Pirates rallied with a big sixth inning to take control of the game.
Brown scored one run in the third inning and another in the fourth to take a 2-0 lead. The Pirates then got on the board in the fifth inning when sophomore infielder Tommy Manzo lifted a sacrifice fly to right field, driving in junior infielder Gabe Cavazzoni for The Hall’s first runs of the game.
SHU broke the game open in the sixth: with two runners on base, junior infielder Frankie Scrivanic lined a double to right field that brought home two runs. Graduate infielder Ty Acker then followed with an RBI single to extend the Pirates’ lead to 4-2.
Cavazzoni finished the game with three hits and an RBI, while Acker added two hits and a run batted in. The Pirates collected 10 hits in the win while holding Brown to just two runs on eight total hits.
On the mound, BIG EAST Preseason Pitcher of the Year Steven Svenson earned his first win of the season. The sophomore righty threw six innings, allowing two runs while striking out seven batters. Fellow right-handed pitcher John Higgins closed the game with a shutout ninth inning to record his fifth save of the season as well.
Saturday’s game turned into a back-and-forth battle that ended in a 9-6 loss for the Pirates. Brown jumped out to an early lead with three runs in the second inning, but SHU quickly responded with three of their own in the bottom half of the inning.
Acker drove in the first Pirate run with an RBI single before Manzo tied the game with a two-run single. Brown answered again in the third, but the Pirates continued to fight back.
With the bases loaded in the third inning, junior infielder Ryan Frontera hit a sacrifice fly to cut into Brown’s lead. A throwing error allowed junior catcher Aidan Sengenberger to score and tie the game. Acker later delivered another RBI single to give the Pirates a 6-5 lead in the 3rd inning.
The Hall held on late into the game thanks to strong work from the bullpen. Derek Benzinger threw four scoreless innings while allowing four hits, and Matt Pontari added a shut-down eighth inning.
Brown rallied in the ninth inning, putting up four runs on Higgins to steal the middle game of the series. The Bears finished with 17 hits in the win, while the Pirates recorded eight in comparison.
The Pirates bounced back in Sunday’s rubber match with a 3-1 victory to clinch the series.
Sophomore starting left-handed pitcher Mason Christopher pitched a strong start for SHU, throwing six scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out four batters.
The Hall took the lead in the second inning when a double steal allowed Acker to score from third base. The Pirates added another run in the sixth when sophomore outfielder Magnus Krieger singled to left field to drive in Cavazzoni.
In the seventh inning, Sengenberger lifted a sacrifice fly that brought home sophomore outfielder Aidan Dill and extended the Pirates’ lead to 3-0.
Brown threatened in the eighth inning after loading the bases, but senior right-handed pitcher Ryan Reich entered from the bullpen and struck out Brown’s Christian Butera to end the inning. Reich stayed in to close the game and struck out the side in the ninth to secure the save and the series win for the Pirates.
With the series victory, SHU improved to 7-8 on the season. The Pirates will return to action Tuesday when they host Wagner at home, followed by Hofstra for a three-game home series next weekend.
Jaden Highsmith is the assistant editor of The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at jaden.highsmith@student.shu.edu.
