In their first weekend series of the season the Seton Hall baseball team was swept by the Tennessee Volunteers.
The three game sweep puts the Pirates record at 2-5 after two weekends of play, with Tennessee remaining undefeated at 7-0.
On Sunday, trying to salvage the weekend with the Volunteers, the Hall dropped the final game 10-2. In the bottom of the first, Tennessee put four runs on the board and added another in the third before the Pirates' pulled starter, junior Frank Morris out of the game with the score 5-2.
The lone Pirate runs were scored in the top of the third behind RBI singles from juniors Giuseppe Papaccio and Mike Genovese. Those were the only two hits for the Hall in the game.
Tennessee put two more runs across in the fourth and another three runs in the sixth inning, leading to their 10-2 victory over the Hall.
Saturday, the two teams played their closest game of the weekend, going 11 innings in a 3-2 Volunteer victory. Both teams were led by their starting pitchers with the Pirates' junior Rick Mangione and Tennessee's junior Zack Godley both going six innings allowing one run.
The Hall took a 1-0 lead in the third inning with sophomore Zack Granite hitting a two out double and Genovese bringing him in with a single to right. In the sixth inning Tennessee tied the game at 1-1 on an RBI bunt single.
With their next at-bats the Pirates would once again take a one run lead. Papaccio was able to score when the Volunteers committed their second error of the inning. Once again the Hall was not able to hold their lead allowing Tennessee to tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh.
The score would remain 2-2 until the bottom of the 11th inning. Tennessee's senior Chris Pierce got on base with a walk and would eventually score after three wild pitches allowed him to advance on the base paths.
In the series opener on Friday, the Volunteers started with a 9-2 win. Tennessee got the scoring started in the second inning on an RBI single.
The Hall tied the game in the third inning on a RBI single from freshman Kyle Grimm. After holding Tennessee scoreless in the third inning the Volunteers put across run in each of their remaining at-bats.
The Pirates return to the field in the University of Virginia Tournament where they will play two games against both Virginia and Wright State.
Stephen Valenti can be reached at Stephen.valenti@student.shu.edu
