Seton Hall baseball continued its strong play as of late on Wednesday, defeating Princeton 3-1 at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field at Owen T Carroll Field in South Orange.
In a game that stayed close throughout, the Pirates (11-9, 0-0 BIG EAST) used a complete pitching performance and timely offense to secure the win against a disciplined Tigers (7-13, 2-1 Ivy) team that continued to apply pressure into the late innings.
The Hall opened the scoring in the very first inning. Junior infielder Gabe Cavazzoni worked on a leadoff walk and immediately created pressure, stealing second and advancing third on a throwing error. Sophomore outfielder Aiden Dill followed with a groundout that brought him home to give SHU an early 1-0 lead.
Starting freshman right-handed pitcher Jason Kuhn set the tone early, retiring the side in order in the first and keeping Princeton quiet through the games’ opening innings. The Pirates added to their lead in the third when Cavazzoni doubled to left field and advanced to third. Junior catcher Aidan Segenberger drove him in with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Princeton showed resilience in the fifth inning after a leadoff double from Will Robbins sparked the offense. The Tigers capitalized on a SHU error to cut the deficit to 2-1 and continued to create opportunities with patient at bats and aggressive baserunning.
That pressure carried into the middle innings, when the Pirates’ pitching staff delivered its biggest moments. Graduate right-handed reliever Matt Pontari entered in a key spot and worked through trouble, and in the sixth inning escaped a bases loaded situation by inducing a groundout to end the inning and keep the Pirates in front. Pontari earned the win, improving to 1 and 0 on the season.
The bullpen continued to step up late. Fellow graduate right-handed reliever Derek Benziger delivered a clean seventh inning, and senior right-handed reliever Ryan Reich followed with a strong eighth, striking out Princton’s Jake Koonin looking in a key moment to stop another Tigers threat.
SHUadded an important insurance run in the eighth. Sophomore outfielder Magnus Krieger reached base and moved into scoring position before graduate infielder Ty Acker brought him home with an RBI groundout, extending the lead to 3-1
Princeton threatened again in the eighth after a double with two outs put a runner in scoring position, but Reich responded with a clutch strikeout to end the inning and maintain the Pirates’ lead.
Graduate right-handed closer John Higgins sealed the game in the ninth, retiring the side in order and finishing it with a strikeout to earn the save.
Cavazzoni led the Pirates on offense, reaching base multiple times and scoring twice while setting the tone at the top of the lineup. Segenberger added an RBI, and Krieger’s baserunning helped create separation late.
On the mound, the Pirates combined for a strong overall performance, with Kuhn controlling the early innings, Pontari escaping key jams and the bullpen finishing the job.
With the win, The Hall continues to build momentum as the season moves forward, showing the ability to win close games through disciplined pitching and timely execution.
The Pirates will hit the road for a trip to Vestal, New York, where they will face Fairfield on Saturday, March 28, then Binghamton on March 29.
Colin Comerford is a writer for The Setonian’s Sports Section. He can be reached at colin.comerford@student.shu.edu.
