The Seton Hall softball team battled but ultimately came up short on Saturday against St John’s, losing both games of a doubleheader. The Johnnies took game one, 4-3, in eight innings and dropped game two, 2-0.
The day was not without its fair share of controversy. Seton Hall coach Paige Smith alleges that St. John’s pitcher Angela Saric was used illegally.
“I was chirping a little bit with the umpires because their number 2 [Saric] was throwing illegally the entire game. It will be interesting to see if they decide to throw her again because we’ll be all over that again,” Smith said.
Smith argued this point with umpire Michael Calderella, but Calderella did not seem to share her sentiments.
Saric relieved St John’s starter Madison Morris in game one and threw 1.2 innings in relief before Morris re-entered and pitched the final three innings. Saric started game two and dominated, no-hitting the Pirates in her five-plus innings of work.
The Pirates offense was productive in game one, producing three runs and taking St. John’s, the Big East leader at this point, to extra innings.
Down 2-0 in the bottom of the fourth, the Pirates rallied to tie the game with help some familiar contributors – Janae Barracato, Hailey Arteaga, and Baylee Allender. Barracato led off with a walk, Arteaga followed with a double, Destini Peck brought Barracato home with a sacrifice fly, and Allender drove in Arteaga with a double of her own. St. John’s struck for a run in the top of the fifth off Seton Hall’s Chrisa Head, but the Pirates rallied in the bottom of the sixth to tie it at three. Peck led off the inning with a walk, Allender reached on a fielder’s choice, and Kathryn Matthys then hit an RBI single to scored Kiana Tate, who pinch ran for Peck.
St. John’s scratched across a run in the top of the eighth to make it 4-3, and Seton Hall was unable to respond in the bottom half despite a single from Baylee Allender.
Game two saw a solid pitching performance by Reganne Camp, who limited St. John’s to six hits and two walks in five innings of work. Camp, however, was outshined by the dynamic duo of Saric and Morris, who combined on a one-hitter with six strikeouts.
The Pirates continue their series with St. John’s on Sunday at 12 p.m.
“We just had a couple things that didn’t go our way,” Smith said. “In game two they kept us off balance a little bit. I’m excited to see what our girls learn from it and roll into tomorrow.”
Matthew Collins can be reached at matthew.collins@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @Matt98533108.
