Seton Hall University
James Madison
Baseball Falls at James Madison to Snap Streak
3/9/2014 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 9, 2014
HARRISONBURG, VA. - A day after recording 22 hits, the Pirates offense went cold as James Madison defeated the 22nd-ranked Seton Hall baseball team, 11-3, on Sunday to snap its seven-game win streak.
The Seton Hall offense, which struck for 12 runs over the first five innings on Friday, mustered only three hits through six innings on Sunday. James Madison's Chris Huffman stymied the Pirates for all nine innings, scattering eight hits and walking only two.
After a perfect first inning, Seton Hall starter Anthony Elia (Flanders, N.J.) ran into trouble in the bottom of the second. Three straight Dukes registered hits to begin the inning and gave James Madison a 1-0 lead. After a ground out, Elia issued a walk to load the bases, and his wild pitch to Chad Carroll enabled another run to score. Carroll then delivered a two-RBI single to center field and the Pirates found themselves in a 4-0 hole.
In the top of the fifth, Seton Hall appeared poised to cut into the Dukes lead. With one out Dillon Hamlin (Colts Neck, N.J.) doubled down the left field line and D.J. Ruhlman (Belle Mead, N.J.) followed with a single to advance Hamlin to third. But the Pirates couldn't capitalize as Ruhlman was caught stealing and Chris Chiaradio (Teaneck, N.J.) grounded out to end the threat.
Instead of the Pirates, it was James Madison whose offense went back to work in the fifth inning. Elia allowed the first three batters to reach base and was pulled with the bases loaded and no outs. Sam Burum (Robbinsville, N.J.) came on in relief, but gave up a one-out, two-RBI single to extend the Pirates deficit to 6-0. A seventh Dukes' run scored on a fielder's choice before the inning ended.
In the top of the seventh inning trailing 10-0, the Seton Hall offense finally broke through on Huffman. With one out, Alex Falconi (Freeport, N.Y.) grounded out to score Kyle Grimm (Bergenfield, N.J.) with the Pirates' first run. Ruhlman followed with an RBI single through the left side to cut the Duke lead to 10-2.
Trailing 11-2 in the top of the ninth inning, Tyler Boyd (Succasunna, N.J.) cracked his second home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field fence with one out. Falconi followed with a single and Ruhlman walked, but the Pirates' rally stopped there as Chiaradio and Jackson Martin (Collegeville, Pa.) were retired.
Boyd finished 2-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and a double. Ruhlman was 2-for-3 to up his team-leading batting average to .415.
Freshman Anthony Pacillo (Lyndhurst, N.J.) got the final out of the seventh and pitched the last two innings, while allowing just one earned run.
Elia falls to 1-2 with the loss.
Seton Hall and James Madison will complete their three-game series tomorrow. First pitch is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
