Pirates Take Series, Fall to Bluejays on Sunday

Sunday, March 20

South Orange, N.J.

11 AM

Seton Hall University

10-10, 3-3

Creighton

11-10, 1-3

Creighton

Seton Hall

3/20/2022 2:39:00 PM | Softball

Box Score BOX SCORE (PDF)

South Orange, N.J. – The Seton Hall softball team dropped its final matchup with Creighton on Sunday at Mike Sheppard, Sr., Field by a score of 4-2 in nine innings. Janae Barracato (Hempstead, N.Y.) led the way offensively for the Pirates with two hits and an RBI to put The Hall ahead in the fourth as they still came away with the series win, taking two-of-three from the Bluejays.

Creighton 4 – Seton Hall 2 (9)
How it Happened

The Bluejays were the first team on the scoreboard as they added a run in the first following a pair of Pirate miscues to grab the early 1-0 lead.
Creighton would again threaten with a runner on third in the top of the third, but Seton Hall starting pitcher Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas) would shut the door with a big strikeout to end the frame.

M3 | Smith with a big K to keep the Bluejays off the board in the third!

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Bluejays 1, Pirates 0#HALLin 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/toV2ZscIrU
— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) March 20, 2022

In the bottom half of the inning it would be Smith, again, to come up big for the Pirates. Barracato would lead off the inning with a single and advance to second on a Creighton error before advancing to third on a fly ball. With two away in the inning, Smith would single home Barracato to knot things at one after three.

B3 | TIE GAME! Smith knots things up for the Pirates with an RBI single to score Barracato!

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Pirates 1, Bluejays 1#HALLin 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/SpIXb9nevU
— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) March 20, 2022

In the fourth, back-to-back walks to start the inning from Baylee Allender (Rosharon, Texas) and Hannah Alexander (Wrightstown, N.J.) would eventually put the Pirates in a scoring chance with runners on second and third and two outs. Barracato would then hustle out a single deep in the hole to score Allender and put The Hall in front, 2-1 after four.

B4 | Janae puts us ahead! Barracato with a hustle single to give the Pirates the lead!

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Pirates 2, Bluejays 1#HALLin 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/ctLGWz4ibL
— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) March 20, 2022

With Creighton threatening with a runner on third and just one out, Smith would cleanly field a bunt attempt and shovel the ball home with her glove to a waiting Alexander who would make the swipe tag to nab the tying run at the plate.

T6 | Smith with a great play out of the circle to get the lead runner at the plate and keep the lead intact!

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Pirates 2, Bluejays 1#HALLin 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/ttG6TUFcvk
— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) March 20, 2022

Trailing by one in the top of the seventh, the first player to the plate for Creighton would homer to left center field to tie the game at two and send things in extras.
After a scoreless eighth inning, Creighton would add two runs in the ninth with an RBI double and run-scoring single to eventually take the game 4-2 in nine innings.

Notes and Numbers

The RBI for Barracato was the 76^th of her career while her run in the third was the 114^th of her time at Seton Hall moving her into a tie for fourth place with Vickie Lamb on the program's all-time leaderboard.
Smith struck out nine across nine innings with three earned runs allowed, bring her weekend total to 15 strikeouts over 16.1 innings thrown and a 2.57 ERA. Smith now had 148 punchouts in a Seton Hall uniform, good enough for a tie for 14^th on the program's all-time list with Heather Sykes.
The Bluejays outhit the Pirates 10-7.
For just the second time in 20 games this season the Pirates were held without an extra base hit. The other occurrence was against Idaho State on March 5.
With the setback, the Pirates moved to 10-10 on the season, 3-3 in BIG EAST play and 4-3 at Mike Sheppard, Sr., Field.

What's Next
The Pirates will stay at home for a midweek doubleheader matchup with Monmouth at Mike Sheppard, Sr., Field. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.