Tough season to date for the men
Indianapolis, Ind. — Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI and Jackson Balzan (Medford, N.J.) threw five innings and tied a season high with seven strikeouts as Seton Hall defeated Butler, 7-3, in the series opener on Friday afternoon.
Seton Hall (20-22, 3-7 BIG EAST) posted 15 hits, a season best for the Pirates in a BIG EAST game this season, and hit four home runs as a team. Five Pirates registered multi-hit games. Out of the bullpen, Nate Espelin (Belmont, Mass.) three a scoreless sixth inning and Michael Gillen (Rochelle Park, N.J.) allowed only two baserunners in a three-inning save with four strikeouts.
How It Happened
Seton Hall looked to shake out of their offensive slump early as Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) and Aiden Robbins (Yardley, Pa.) led off the game with back-to-back base hits but they were both left stranded. It was Butler that scored first, going ahead 1-0 on a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Balzan worked scoreless frames in the second and third innings before the offense found life. Sylvester led off the fourth inning with a single and Cole Zak (Cleveland, Ohio) followed him with his fourth home run of the season that put the Pirates in front, 2-1. Danny Melnick (Hamilton, N.J.) was the next batter and he doubled down the left field line that kept the rally going. Staus Pokrovsky (Pittsgrove, N.J.) then stepped to the plate and mashed his 19th career home run that extended Seton Hall's lead to 4-1.
After Balzan worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth, Sylvester hit his first home run of the afternoon over the left field fence that scored Max Viera (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) and made it 6-1 Pirates. The Bulldogs cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fifth with two runs that trimmed the Seton Hall lead to 6-3 before Balzan retired the side and prevented further damage.
Espelin kept it a 6-3 game in the sixth and Gillen came on in the seventh where he retired the side. After Gillen blanked the Bulldogs again in the eighth, Sylvester added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run that led off the inning.
Up Next
Game two of the three game series between Seton Hall and Butler will take place tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.
Sylvester, Balzan Lead Pirates Past Butler, 7-3 - Seton Hall University Athletics
Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI and Jackson Balzan (Medford, N.J.) threw five innings and tied a seaso...
shupirates.com
Indianapolis, Ind. — Zack Sylvester (Montville, N.J.) went 3-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI and Jackson Balzan (Medford, N.J.) threw five innings and tied a season high with seven strikeouts as Seton Hall defeated Butler, 7-3, in the series opener on Friday afternoon.
Seton Hall (20-22, 3-7 BIG EAST) posted 15 hits, a season best for the Pirates in a BIG EAST game this season, and hit four home runs as a team. Five Pirates registered multi-hit games. Out of the bullpen, Nate Espelin (Belmont, Mass.) three a scoreless sixth inning and Michael Gillen (Rochelle Park, N.J.) allowed only two baserunners in a three-inning save with four strikeouts.
How It Happened
Seton Hall looked to shake out of their offensive slump early as Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) and Aiden Robbins (Yardley, Pa.) led off the game with back-to-back base hits but they were both left stranded. It was Butler that scored first, going ahead 1-0 on a solo home run in the bottom of the first inning.
Balzan worked scoreless frames in the second and third innings before the offense found life. Sylvester led off the fourth inning with a single and Cole Zak (Cleveland, Ohio) followed him with his fourth home run of the season that put the Pirates in front, 2-1. Danny Melnick (Hamilton, N.J.) was the next batter and he doubled down the left field line that kept the rally going. Staus Pokrovsky (Pittsgrove, N.J.) then stepped to the plate and mashed his 19th career home run that extended Seton Hall's lead to 4-1.
After Balzan worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the fourth, Sylvester hit his first home run of the afternoon over the left field fence that scored Max Viera (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) and made it 6-1 Pirates. The Bulldogs cut into their deficit in the bottom of the fifth with two runs that trimmed the Seton Hall lead to 6-3 before Balzan retired the side and prevented further damage.
Espelin kept it a 6-3 game in the sixth and Gillen came on in the seventh where he retired the side. After Gillen blanked the Bulldogs again in the eighth, Sylvester added an insurance run in the ninth with a solo home run that led off the inning.
Up Next
Game two of the three game series between Seton Hall and Butler will take place tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.