Pirates Ride Home Run Ball, Pitching To DH Sweep

Saturday, May 4

Omaha, Neb.

1 p.m.

Seton Hall University

23-23, 9-8

Creighton

19-23, 7-12

Seton Hall

Creighton

5/4/2019 6:51:00 PM | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 GAME 1 BOX GAME 2 BOX

OMAHA, Neb. – The Seton Hall softball team (24-23, 10-8 BIG EAST) picked up a massive doubleheader sweep on Saturday, going into Creighton (19-24, 7-13 BIG EAST) and taking two from the league's preseason favorites. With the two wins, the Pirates are in prime position to finish top-four in the league standings and claim a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament.

Game one saw the Pirates rally from an early 3-0 hole, getting a home run and brilliant relief pitching from Chrisa Head (Lewisville, Texas) along with a three-hit effort from Hailey Arteaga (Upland, Calif.). In game two, another tremendous performance in the circle from Head and Madison Strunk (Adkins, Texas) was supported by home runs from Janae Barracato (Hempstead, N.Y.) and Jaden Tate (Las Vegas, Nev.) in a tight win.

Game 1 – Seton Hall 6, Creighton 3

How it Happened

Neither side was able to get on the board until the bottom of the third, when CU took a 3-0 lead with a home run
The Hall would get even with three runs in the top of the fifth
- Head got the scoring started in the fifth with a long solo home run to dead center field
- Later in the inning, Arteaga smoked an RBI single off the pitcher to bring the Pirates within a run before Baylee Allender (Rosharon, Texas) delivered a run-scoring ground ball to level the score
The Pirates took their first lead in the top of the sixth when Payton Beaver (Stevens, Wash.) plated an unearned run with a ball booted at short
In the top of the seventh, Darby Pandolfo (Massapequa, N.Y.) gave the Pirates some crucial insurance with a deep two-run home run to left that put SHU up 6-3
Creighton put two on with away in the bottom of the seventh, but Head ended the game with the potential tying run at the plate by notching her fifth strikeout

Notes and Numbers

The Hall finished with an 8-7 edge in hits and did commit an error against six miscues by CU
Arteaga was the lone Pirate with multiple hits, going 3-for-4 with an RBI
The Pirates recorded three two-out RBIs in the win
Head's home run was her first of the season and the 11^th of the senior's career
The long ball for Pandolfo was her fifth of the year, but first in BIG EAST play
Head tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of relief for the win, allowing a hit and two walks while striking out five

Game 2 – Seton Hall 3, Creighton 1

How it Happened

After coming up empty and leaving runners on in each of the first three innings, The Hall got on the board in the top of the fourth with a solo home run from Tate
Creighton leveled the score with a hit batsman and a pair of singles in the bottom of the fourth
The tie was short-lived as Barracato launched a two-run home run to left center in the top of the fifth to put the Pirates back ahead by a score of 3-1
Strunk entered for her first of three scoreless innings in the fifth, working around trouble in her first inning of work by striking out two in the bottom of the frame
In the bottom of the seventh CU put two on with one away, but Strunk was able to strand the potential tying runs aboard with a grounder to first and a fly ball to center

Notes and Numbers

The Hall held a 7-6 edge in hits and neither side committed an error
Head tossed 4.0 innings and allowed a run on four hits with no walks and a strikeout for the win
She was relieved by Strunk who went 3.0 scoreless, giving up two hits and a walk while striking out two to pick up the save
The Pirates have now won five of their seven BIG EAST series this season
The 10 league wins for The Hall are the most since also winning 10 back in 2015
Barracato and Tate both homered for the first time since the Villanova series (March 23), hitting their third and second home runs of the season, respectively
The Hall improves to 7-9 all-time against Creighton, snapping a seven-game skid in the series
Head is now 3-0 with a 2.92 ERA in BIG EAST games this season

What's Next
The Pirates and Bluejays are scheduled to conclude their series tomorrow at 12 p.m. (ET). If the Pirates win they are guaranteed a bid to the conference championship. If they lose, they need a loss from either Villanova (home vs. DePaul) or Providence (at Georgetown) to secure a berth.