Pirates Drop Series Opener At Creighton, 5-3

Thursday, May 16

Omaha, Neb.

7 p.m.

Seton Hall University

23-29, 6-13

Creighton

34-16, 6-12

Seton Hall

Creighton

Michael Gillen throws a pitch against Villanova

5/16/2024 10:00:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Omaha, Neb. — Danny Melnick (Hamilton, N.J.) went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored and Michael Gillen (Rochelle Park, N.J.) was excellent out of the bullpen as he struck out a season-high six batters in 4.1 innings but Creighton came out on top as the Bluejays topped the Pirates, 5-3, on Thursday afternoon.

Melnick registered his BIG EAST-leading 20th double of the season, which ties him for the seventh most two-baggers in a single season in program history. Aiden Robbins (Yardley, Pa.) posted his 16th multi-hit game of the season. Jackson Balzan (Belmont, Mass.) was strong in the early going but couldn't get through a four-run fourth inning as he was tagged with his first losing decision of the season.

How It Happened

The Pirates left a runner on in the top of the first inning in Robbins who reached on a base hit while Balzan retired the first six Bluejays that he faced. Balzan worked out of trouble in the third before the Pirates struck first in the top of the fourth. With one out, Melnick singled to left field that gave Seton Hall its third baserunner of the game. After a fly out for the second out, Pokrovsky stepped to the dish and drove a triple to the center field wall that scored Melnick from first base and gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Creighton responded with a four-run bottom of the fourth that put it in front, 4-1. Seton Hall countered with two runs in the top of the fifth inning and it started with consecutive singles off the bats of Jonathan Luders (Lynnfield, Mass.) and Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.). With one out and runners on the corners, Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) lifted a fly ball to left field for the sacrifice fly that scored Luders. Melnick was the next batter and he sent his 20th double of the season to the right center field gap that plated Robbins and trimmed Seton Hall's deficit to one, 4-3.

Gillen, who came on to record the final two outs of the fourth by strikeout that prevented further damage, worked around two hits in the home half of the fifth, induced three groundouts in the sixth, and worked a perfect seventh with two more punch outs that kept it a one-run game. However, the Pirates' offense went down in order in the eighth and Creighton added a key insurance run in the bottom half that made it 5-3.

Up Next

The Pirates will look to even up the series tomorrow evening as Seton Hall takes on Creighton in game two of a three-game series at 7 p.m.