The Seton Hall softball team defeated the Georgetown Hoyas 1-0 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday, April 9.
The Pirates played the first two games of the series yesterday, losing game one 6-1 and winning game two 10-2. Reganne Camp started for the Hall in game three, facing off against Anna Brooks Pacha of the Hoyas.
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Photo via SHU Athletics[/caption]
Georgetown had an early chance to take the lead in the top of the first. Three consecutive singles loaded the bases for Hannah Ramsey with only one out. Ramsey lined out to Ragen Reddick at short, who threw it back to first to double off Noelle Holiday. Seton Hall had a similar situation in the bottom of the second when back-to-back singles by Darby Pandolfo and Noel Lent gave the Pirates runners on first and second with only one out. Pacha managed to strike out consecutive batters and escape the inning unscathed.
The pitcher’s duel continued into the fifth inning before Seton Hall got on the board. Singles from Sara Foster and Lauren Fischer and a walk from Alexis Walkden loaded the bases with nobody out. After Pacha struck out Destini Peck, Hailey Arteaga hit a sacrifice fly to left field to bring in Foster, putting the Pirates up 1-0.
With one out in the top of the seventh, Georgetown threatened to tie the game when Ciara Sullivan doubled to left field. Following Delaney Darden's strikeout, Chrisa Head of the Pirates faced Mallory Belknap with the game on the line. Belknap slapped a single behind Reddick into shallow left field, giving Sullivan a chance to score. As she rounded third, Arteaga corralled the ball and delivered a perfect throw to the plate. The play was close, but Peck tagged Sullivan out right before she crossed the plate, ending the game and delivering a win for the Pirates.
Camp and Head pitched a combined shutout, the third of the season for the Pirates. Coach Paige Smith praised Camp’s ability to get out of a few jams in her four innings of work.
“She looks like a veteran and she’s a freshman,” Smith said. “I thought she did a good job and put us into a good position to hand the ball off to Chrisa [Head].”
Despite the good pitching performance, Seton Hall was held to just one run for the second time in this three-game series. Smith gave Pacha credit for a hard-fought performance in the series.“It’s hard to shut us down, and the same pitcher did it twice. That’s the first time that’s happened all year.”
“It’s hard to shut us down, and the same pitcher did it twice. That’s the first time that’s happened all year,” Smith said.
The Hall improves to 18-15-1 on the year, while Georgetown falls to 11-23. Seton Hall will host Hofstra on Tuesday, April 11 before it travels to Nebraska for a three-game series against Creighton starting on Friday, April 14.
Matt Lapolla can be reached at matthew.lapolla@student.shu.edu or on Twitter @MatthewLapolla.
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