Pirates Clinch Series At Xavier With 3-2 Win

Saturday, April 29

Cincinnati, OH / Hayden Field

1 p.m.

Seton Hall University

24-18, 7-4

Xavier

26-17, 7-4

Seton Hall

Xavier

Ryan Reich throws a pitch against Monmouth on March 12

4/29/2023 6:20:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BOX SCORE.pdf

Cincinnati, Ohio - Junior Max Viera (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) drove in the go-ahead run on a double in the eighth inning and the Seton Hall bullpen combined to throw 5.2 innings of shutout relief with seven strikeouts as the Pirates clinched a series victory on Saturday at Xavier with a 3-2 victory.

Junior Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) went 3-for-4 with a solo home run and redshirt junior Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) went 2-for-4 with a triple and a run scored. Freshman Ryan Reich (Sellinsgrove, Pa.) earned the win after striking out three in two innings of scoreless relief and graduate student Brennan O'Neill (Morristown, N.J.) converted his first career save after holding the Musketeers scoreless in the eighth and ninth innings.

Redshirt junior Will Gale made the play of the year in the bottom of the eighth inning when he leaped and brought back a go-ahead home run from going over the left field fence.

The Pirates improve to 24-18 overall and move into a tie with Xavier in the BIG EAST standings with both teams at 7-4.

THE GAME:

After starter Daniel Frontera (Red Bank, N.J.) retired the side in order in the bottom of the first inning, the Pirates struck first in the top of the second. With one out in the inning, Sylvester pulled a 2-1 pitching over the wall in left field that gave Seton Hall a 1-0 lead. The next batter was Hack who tripled down the right field line and was driven in on a sacrifice fly from junior Mark McNelly (Limerick, Pa.), extending the Pirates' lead to 2-0.

Xavier answered in the home half of the second with a two-run home run that knotted up the score at 2-2. After the Musketeers put a runner on with a one-out double, graduate student Alex Nicolosi entered the game and picked up two big strikeouts that ended the threat.

Nicolosi worked a 1-2-3 fifth inning before Reich enter the game in the bottom of the sixth with a runner on second. The freshman worked out of trouble in the sixth and retired the side in order in the seventh, tallying two strikeouts. Senior Oscar Murray (Brentwood, Calif.) got hit by a pitch to lead off the top of the eighth, moved to second base on a sac bunt and later to third on a groundout. Viera then punched a 3-2 pitch down the right field line that drove in Murray and gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

O'Neill then entered the game and got the first out of the bottom of the eighth before surrendering a walk. The next Xavier batter hit a deep fly ball to left that was destined to go over the wall but Gale leaped, stuck his glove over the wall and brought the ball back for the second out. A groundout to Viera at shortstop ended the threat and O'Neill would go on to retire the side in the ninth.

NEWS & NOTES

The Pirates have won five consecutive games and eight of their last 10.
The Seton Hall bullpen hasn't allowed an earned run in its last 34.2 innings dating back to the ninth inning of game two against Butler on April 22.
Pirate pitching has allowed only 11 hits over the last three games.
The Pirates have hit nine home runs over the last three games.
Seton Hall has hit 29 home runs this season, its most since hitting 31 home runs as a team in 2005.
Seton Hall has already surpassed last season's win total and has matched its win total from 2021.
The Hall's 24 wins this season are its most since winning 25 games in 2019.
Sylvester matched his career high with three hits.
Hack's triple was his first of the season and the sixth of his career.
Reich earns his first career decision with the win out of the bullpen.
O'Neill earns his first save in his 55th career appearance