Seton Hall University
Georgetown
Baseball Halted by Hoyas in Finale
4/21/2013 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Eight different Pirates recorded a hit on Sunday, but the Seton Hall baseball team failed to push a run across in the series finale against Georgetown, falling, 2-0.
By taking two-of-three over the weekend against the visiting Hoyas, SHU improved its record to 21-16 overall and 7-5 in BIG EAST play. The Hall has now won the last four, and five of its last six, three-game series.
On Sunday, GU jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning despite only recording one hit in the opening frame.
Seton Hall starter Greg Terhune (Washington, N.J.) ran into trouble early as the first two batters of the game reached via a walk and a hit-by-pitch. The senior lefty rebounded to get the next two, but Georgetown’s RBI leader Christian Venditti came up with a two-out single, plating the first run of the day before the Pirates recorded the final out in a rundown play.
SHU threatened in the third as junior Zack Granite (Staten Island, N.Y.) led-off with a single back up the box and advanced to second on a well-placed drag bunt by freshman Zack Weigel (Oak Park, Ill.). Granite stood in scoring position with just one away and the heart of the Pirates’ order coming up but was left stranded after two consecutive outs.
With the score still at 1-0 in the home half of the fifth, senior Ryan Sullivan (Stony Point, N.Y.) pulled a one-out single through the right side and soon advanced to second after Granite walked. After Weigel lined one that found the glove of the GU left fielder, Scott Kalamar (Bethlehem, Pa.) drew a free pass to load the bases for senior shortstop Giuseppe Papaccio (Nutley, N.J.). Coming off a career-best five runs batted-in during Saturday’s 11-4 victory, Papaccio put a charge into one, but Georgetown center fielder Justin Leeson ran it down in left center to end the inning.
Leeson then led off the top of the sixth with a single to right field and moved to second following a successful sacrifice bunt. Up next, GU’s Nick Collins delivered with a single up the middle, bringing Leeson around to score his second run of the game, and pushing the advantage to 2-0 in favor of the visitors.
Collins’ single marked the end of the day for Terhune, who allowed only four hits in 5.1 innings of work. From there, junior Brian Gilbert (Toms River, N.J.) came on to shut the door for The Hall, keeping the Hoyas off the scoreboard and striking out three over 3.2 innings.
SHU’s best opportunity to close the gap came in the bottom of the sixth as senior Mike Genovese (Livingston, N.J.) and sophomore Sal Annunziata (Bronx, N.Y.) got it started with back-to-back singles. Kyle Grimm (Bergenfield, N.J.) moved both runners into scoring position with a sac bunt, prompting Georgetown to pull starter Matt Smith in favor of Neal Dennison. Dennison came on and retired the next two Pirates, stranding the runners, and ending the threat.
Smith got the win for the Hoyas (22-15, 5-7) despite allowing eight baserunners over his 5.1 innings. Dennison and Charlie Steinman combined for 3.2 scoreless innings to close the game. Terhune drops to 3-3 for SHU.
Weigel led Seton Hall with a 2-for-4 day from the plate, while Genovese extended his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest by any Pirate this season.
Seton Hall will return to Owen T. Carroll Field on Wednesday, April 26 for a mid-week matchup with Lehigh. Start-time is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
