Robbins' Five Hits Fuels Pirates 9-3 Rout ot Nova

Friday, May 16

Villanova, Pa.

1 p.m.

Seton Hall University

23-30, 9-11

Villanova

22-27, 6-14

Seton Hall

Villanova

5/16/2025 8:10:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BOX SCORE (.pdf)

VILLANOVA, PA. – Sophomore Aiden Robbins (Yardley, Pa.) had five hits, and Kevin Milewski (Wallingford, Conn.) drove in three runs as the Seton Hall baseball team defeated Villanova, 9-3, in the penultimate game of the season on Friday.

The Pirates took a 5-3 lead on Milewski's 16^th home run of the season to give them their first lead of the series, and a pair of Seton Hall relievers, Stephen Curry (New Market, Md.) and John Downing (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) kept the Wildcats off the scoreboard for the final 5.2 innings.

Robbins went 5-for-6 with a double and three runs scored. Marco Ali (Old Westbury, N.Y.) and Jimmy Brennan (Newton, N.J.) had three hits apiece. Ali was 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBI and two runs scored. Brennan was 3-for-5 with an RBI and a double.

Curry picked up the victory, improving to 5-3 on the season, while Downing grabbed the three-inning save. Downing allowed only one hit over the final three innings.

THE STORY:
Villanova struck first with two runs in the bottom of the first, aided by a Seton Hall error, but The Hall got them right back in the top of the second with a two-run opposite field home run by Ali.

In the top of the fourth, the first two Seton Hall batters reached base, but were stranded. Villanova, however, re-took the lead with a solo home run to lead off the bottom of the inning off Seton Hall starter Tomas Cestero (Westfield, N.J.). The Wildcats got a runner to third with only one out, but Pirates' catcher Kevin Milewski (Wallingford, Conn.) threw out a pair of runners trying to steal second to strand the runner.

In the top of the fifth, an RBI double by AJ Soldra (Orange, Conn.) tied the game at three. Milewski followed with a towering opposite field dinger, his 16^th of the season, to give The Hall its first lead of the series, 5-3. The Pirates tacked on two more runs in both the top of the sixth and eighth innings.

MILEWSKI STRIKES AGAIN!! A TWO-RUN BOMB AND THE PIRATES LEAD, 5-3!!#HALLin ⚾🏴‍☠️🔵⚪ pic.twitter.com/oa6633Agjp
— Seton Hall University Baseball (@SHUBaseball) May 16, 2025

THE NUMBERS:

Villanova out-hit Seton Hall, 8-to-6.
Both teams committed one error and left nine men on base.
The Pirates were 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position, while the Wildcats were 3-for-13 (.231).
Ford had a solo home run, the first of his career.
Brennan went 1-for-2 with a double and a sacrifice fly.
Robbins was 5-for-6 with a double and three runs scored.
Ali was 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored.
Brennan was 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI.
Milewski had a home run, three RBIs and a walk.
Curry picked up the victory with 2.2 innings of hitless baseball. He walked two and struck out one.
Downing got the save, pitching three innings with only one hit, four walks and two strikeouts.
Cestero allowed three runs over 3.1 innings with five strikeouts and four walks in a no decision.

THE NOTES:

Seton Hall improves to 23-30 overall and 9-11 in the BIG EAST Conference, while Villanova falls to 22-27 overall and 6-14 in conference play.
The Pirates improve to 98-49 all-time against Villanova.
Milewski's home run is his 16^th of the season, which is tied with Pirates' legend Marteese Robinson for fourth-most in a single-season in program history.
Soldra has now safely hit in 19 straight BIG EAST games after his sixth inning single today.
With five hits today, Robbins now has 83 for the season, which ranks ninth most in a single-season in Seton Hall history.
Seton Hall had at least 10 hits for the 20^th time this season.
Ali's home run is his second in a Seton Hall uniform.