Winning by the eighth inning mercy rule, the Seton Hall men’s baseball team defeated the Dartmouth Big Green, 17-7, on Wednesday, March 19 at Mike Sheppard Sr. Stadium.
The Pirates came into this game after suffering a brutal 6-5 loss to the Wagner Seahawks on Tuesday, March 18, after blowing a 5-3 lead through six innings. The Big Green also looked to rebound after a 13-1 mercy rule loss to the Naval Academy on Tuesday, March 18.
After a scoreless first inning from both teams, Dartmouth was the first team to score with an RBI single from second baseman Alejandro Puig to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
Despite a first inning that included three walks, Seton Hall found their rhythm while facing Dartmouth’s freshman starting pitcher Andrew Lombana. Sophomore infielder Casey Cumiskey opened the scoring for Seton Hall with a single that drove in a run. After the second inning, the Pirates led 4-1 thanks to RBI singles from designated hitter and senior catcher Jimmy Brennan, as well as from the reigning Big East Player of the Week, sophomore catcher Kevin Milewski.
Despite the Pirates’ early offensive downpour, Dartmouth carried on, tying the game, 4-4, in the next inning with a two-run single from third baseman Taer Rodriguez and a wild pitch that scored senior left fielder Luke Carroll.
Just as the storm seemed to subside, Seton Hall opened the floodgates in the bottom of the third inning. Another RBI from Cumiskey, as well as an RBI single from sophomore center fielder AJ Soldra, extended Seton Hall’s lead to 11-4. An error from Dartmouth right fielder Jackson Hower added another two runs on the board, as the Pirates put up seven runs on five hits and four walks in the inning.
From there, the Pirates scored another four runs, officially putting Dartmouth on mercy watch in the fifth inning with them leading 15-4. Despite scoring three runs in the top of the sixth, including Hower making up for his error with a two run double, Dartmouth’s effort was not enough. A base on balls from sophomore utility player Justin Ford in the bottom of the eighth would seal the win for the Pirates as they led 17-7. With them leading by 10 through eight innings of play, the NCAA’s mercy-rule was enforced, giving them the win.
What won the game for the Pirates was their plate discipline, as they drew a staggering 19 walks in this game, which shatters their previous high of eight in the final game of their series against St. Joseph’s on March 9.
Seton Hall relief pitcher Connor Byrne secured the win, pitching four innings and allowing three runs on six hits and two walks. Sophomore outfielder Aiden Robbins led the Pirates on offense by going 2-for-3 while tying his season high in RBIs with four.
The Pirates’ record currently stands at 9–14 overall after a three game series against Iona from March 21-23. They will face Hofstra in Hempstead, New York on Tuesday, March 25.
John Misiewicz writes for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at john.misiewicz@student.shu.edu.
