The Seton Hall softball team fell short in its comeback effort on Thursday against Lehigh, as Mountain Hawks catcher Carolyn Wright slammed a two-run walk-off home run and handed the Pirates a 6-4 road loss.
Seton Hall was held scoreless until the sixth inning, when the Pirates rallied and tied the game at 4-4, before Wright’s walk-off the next inning that ended the game.
After the Pirates went down one-two-three to start the ballgame, the Mountain Hawks wasted no time in getting on the board, as leadoff hitter Nicole Yozzo reached on a walk. She ended up stealing second, and then advancing to third on an error by Seton Hall first basemen Baylee Allender. Mary-Hannah Smith then drove home Yozzo on a sacrifice-fly, to put Lehigh up 1-0.
The Mountain Hawks added one more run in the fourth inning after right fielder Katie Schultz reached on a bunt single. She later stole second, and subsequently scored on another error by Allender. Allender tried to throw Schultz out at home plate when she was trying to score on an infield single, but, ended up throwing the ball away in the process.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
The infield errors by the Seton Hall defense continued to hurt them, as Lehigh scored two more runs in the bottom of the fifth. It started when Yozzo reached first on an error from starting pitcher Mo Sobel. Yozzo then stole second for her second stolen base on the day and 36th of the season. Yozzo ended up scoring on a fielding error by Seton Hall shortstop Emily Supercynski, with the hit off the bat of Mary-Hannah Smith, making the lead 3-0 in favor of Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks made it 4-0, after Smith scored on a Katie Schultz sacrifice fly.
Seton Hall came roaring back in the sixth, after a pair of walks to start the inning by Janae Barracato and Sara Foster. Alexis Walkden then slammed a double to left-center that drove home both runners to make it 4-2. She came home two batters later, with Payton Beaver hitting a clutch two-run shot to tie the ballgame at four. Beaver’s home run was her third of the season and her second in the last four games.
Mo Sobel started the game for the Pirates and pitched a solid game into the seventh. Sobel entered the seventh with only one of the four Lehigh runs earned, with a possible win still in the balance.
She walked the first batter she faced in the seventh and was then replaced on the mound by Madison Strunk. Lehigh pulled off a sacrifice bunt, to put the winning run in scoring position at second. Carolyn Wright then became the hero, as she hit a 1-1 pitch over the left field wall, to give the home side the win.
Mo Sobel was ultimately credited for the loss, with a final line of six innings pitched – which is a new career high for her – eight hits allowed, five runs allowed – with only two of them earned – two walks and two strikeouts. The sophomore Sobel is now 3-4 on the season.
Parker Boyd was the winning pitcher for Lehigh, as she went the distance, pitching a complete game. Boyd scattered five hits, four runs – all of which were earned – three walks and struck out six. The win improves her record to 12-11.
Seton Hall, now 18-26 on the season, will look to return to winning ways at home, when Big East foe Creighton visits for a three-game series. The series will start with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 21, with game one scheduled for 12 p.m.
Jose Feliciano can be reached at jose.feliciano@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @JFeliciano1101.
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