March 19, 2011
Seton Hall Box Score 1
Seton Hall Box Score 2
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Lafayette held leads in both games at the Seton Hall Pirate Classic on Saturday, but the hosts escaped with 7-3 and 4-2 decisions in softball action.
In the first game, Seton Hall (11-13) took an early lead when Maria DeLuca led off the bottom of the first with a home run off Lafayette starter Emily Noel. A Lafayette error in the second inning led to another run for the hosts who held a 2-0 advantage after two.
The Leopards took their first lead of the game with three runs in the top of the fourth inning. Noel started the rally with a solo shot to right center. Jordan Parsons and Gwen Turner kept things going with singles. The Leopards put runners on second and third with two outs for Stacey Kushner who drove in two runs with a double down the line. Lafayette led 3-2.
Seton Hall wasted little time in re-taking the lead, tying the game in the bottom of the fourth with a run on a sac fly. The Pirates broke open the game with four runs in the fifth. All of the runs were unearned as Lafayette started off the inning with a throwing error. Kirby Groves singled in a pair of runs Meredith Henze singled home one run and Jamie Gates stole home to cap the rally that handed Seton Hall the 7-3 final.
The Leopards could not push a baserunner past first base in the final two at-bats.
Noel threw 4.2. innings, allowing seven runs with only two of those being earned. Noel (0-3) struck out two walked three and gave up six hits. Melissa Robinson threw the final inning and a third and gave up just one hit. Jen Metzger (5-0) was the winner, throwing 3.2 innings during which she gave up one run on three hits while striking out three.
In the nightcap, the Leopards again took an early lead, scoring a run in the top of the third inning. Gwen Turner, Melanie Ruderman and Kristin Garganio all singled to score the first run of the game. Garganio's two-out infield single brought home Turner for the 1-0 lead.
Seton Hall's first batter of the bottom half of the inning, Henze, tied the game at 1-1 with a solo home run. Unfortunately, the Leopards would again hear from her bat. When the game moved to the top of the fifth, Carly Feiro smoked a double to right to score Kusher and Ruderman. Lafayette's next three batters went down in order, but Lafayette held a 3-1 lead.
Gates homered in the bottom of the fifth to trim the Lafayette lead to 3-2. Lafayette held its one-run advantage until the home half of the seventh. Henze's second home run of the game, a two-run job to centerfield, gave Seton Hall the 4-3 win.
Robinson (1-6) took the loss, giving up four runs in seven innings. Hannah Hill (4-8) collected the victory, fanning eight while allowing three runs (two earned).
Lafayette (1-17) will close out the Seton Hall Pirate Classic with one game on Sunday.
