Pirates Open BIG EAST Softball Championships Today

[Halldan1]

Pirates Open BIG EAST Softball Championships on Wednesday - Seton Hall University Athletics

Storrs, Conn. – The Pirates open their 2023 BIG EAST Softball Championship journey on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. when they face sixth-seeded DePaul at Burrill

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Storrs, Conn. – The Pirates open their 2023 BIG EAST Softball Championship journey on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m. when they face sixth-seeded DePaul at Burrill Family Field. If the Pirates win, they will advance to take on No. 2 seed Villanova on Thursday in the winner's bracket. With a loss, The Hall would play in an elimination game on Wednesday night against either No. 4 Butler or No. 5 St. John's.

BACK IN THE BIG EAST TOURNAMENT
The Pirates are the No. 3 seed at this week's BIG EAST Softball Championship, making their first appearance in the field since the 2015 season. That year, the Pirates made the Championship Game in the then-single elimination tournament, defeating DePaul in the opening round before falling to St. John's in the title game. The Pirates were also the No. 3 seed in that year's event.

LAST TIME OUT
The Pirates went 2-1 over the weekend against Butler to close out the regular season. Seton Hall took game on, 2-1 after a pitcher's duel between Kelsey Carr (Ridgewood, N.Y.) and Butler starter Mackenzie Griman. Ashly Colonnetta (Cypress, Texas) won the game for the Pirates in the bottom of the seventh on a walk-off infield single. In game two, Abby Wingo (Portland, Ore.) hit a first inning grand slam to highlight a five-run first inning in the 6-2 win.

NEWS & NOTES

• The Pirates earned several All-BIG EAST awards on Tuesday afternoon. Kelsey Carr was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year, Abby Wingo was named Defensive Player of the Year, and the coaching staff led by Angie Churchill was named BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.
• Carr is the first Pirate pitcher to be named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Year. The junior led the league in ERA (1.82), reaching that number after 61.2 innings of work. Carr only allowed more than two earned runs in a start just twice during BIG EAST play.
• Wingo was the first Pirate recipient of the Defensive Player of the Year award. The senior had a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in 31 chances in center field. Wingo had the third-highest number of chances among BIG EAST outfielders and had the most chances among center fielders in the league.
• Wingo enters the week one hit shy of breaking the single season record of 64 hits held by Katie Pierce and Valerie Suto. Her grand slam on Senior Day on Saturday tied the record.
• Wingo has hit safely in 34 of her last 37 games. She has only gone hitless in eight of the 53 games she has played this season and has only failed to record a hit in back-to-back games once.
• The Pirates are closing in on breaking several single-season team records in 2023. The group has already set new marks in runs scored and RBI and are on pace to break the team's single-season hits mark of 449. Seton Hall also owns a .306 team batting average, just shy of the record of .307 from the 1999 season.
• Seton Hall's 18 BIG EAST victories this season are a new program record. The Pirates' 38 overall wins this season are their most since winning 46 games in 2004.
• Wingo is looking to become the third Pirate ever to bat over .400 for a season. Her .403 average currently sits as the third-highest single-season batting average in team history.
• Shelby Smith's no-hitter on April 22 at Providence was the 21st in program history and the first since Ashley Forsyth's perfect game at Saint Peter's on April 8, 2010. As a result of the no-hitter, Smith was named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week on Monday.
• Kelsey Carr was electric during the month of April. She batted .469 with seven home runs, 30 RBI, a 1.567 OPS, and a 2.29 ERA in 36.2 innings pitched. In just BIG EAST games during the month of April, Carr batted .500 (14-for-28) with four home runs, 22 RBI and a 2.66 ERA in 23.2 innings.
• Carr has had a resurgent year in the circle, owning a 1.87 ERA through 104.2 innings of work this season. No Seton Hall pitcher has posted an ERA under 2.00 since 2005. She has been named BIG EAST Pitcher of the Week twice this season and has been named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll four times.
• The Pirates captured their 30th win of the season on April 18 at Marist, reaching that mark for the first time since 2005. That season was also the last time the program won a BIG EAST title.
• The Pirates will finish with an overall record above .500 for the first time since 2006, when they finished 29-27.
• Seton Hall has displayed an ability to win games in multiple different ways in 2023. The Pirates have won 11 games this year via mercy rule, and have won 14 of their last 17 games decided by two runs or less.
• Carr tied the single-game program record for runs batted in on April 16 at DePaul, finishing with seven RBI. She tied Danielle DeStaso's mark which was set against St. Bonaventure on Feb. 8, 2013.
• Smith picked up her 300th career strikeout on April 1 during her 10-strikeout performance. Smith became the seventh Pirate to achieve the milestone and the first since Reganne Camp in 2020.
• Smith was named BIG EAST Player of the Week on March 27 for her two-way prowess at Creighton. She went 6-for-11 (.545) with two RBI at the plate while also firing a complete game victory in game one of Saturday's doubleheader. This is Smith's second BIG EAST honor of the season, as she was named Co-Pitcher of the Week on March 6.
• Erin Howard was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on April 3 after a strong run producing weekend against St. John's. In four games, she batted a team-best .556 (5-for-9) with six RBI. In the 10 games she has started this season, she has RBI's in five of them.
• Seton Hall's nine-run inning on March 15 against Manhattan was its most in one frame since a 10-run rally in the fifth inning against Army on March 6, 2020.
• The Pirates' 3-2 win over Texas Tech on March 4 was the program's second ever win against a Big 12 opponent, and first since defeating Kansas, 3-2, on Feb. 17, 2008.
• Wingo tallied her 100th career base hit on March 4 against Texas Tech.

FOLLOW
Wednesday's game against DePaul can be seen live on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Out of a jam in the top of the 1st against DePaul.

 

[Halldan1]

 

[NYC Pirate]

Down 4-3 going top of 7th. Down 4-0 SHU with a 3 run HR. With two outs DePaul player makes great catch to keep DePaul in lead. Need a shutdown inning and then score a run or two In bottom of 7th.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Hall tie game with a lead off HR off the foul pole in last inning! 4-4 in the bottom of the 7th.

 

[silkcitypirate]

Hall WINS !!!!!!! Down 4-0 They get 3 in the 6th and 2 in the bottom of the 7th !!!!!!! Play Nova tomorrow .

 

[hallgrad80]

Gutsy win with a great comeback.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Although this is double elimination those were two clutch HRs and season saving hits. Let's see how this weekend plays out, but that was the biggest Hall Softball game in many years.

 

[Seton75]

Hall WINS !!!!!!! Down 4-0 They get 3 in the 6th and 2 in the bottom of the 7th !!!!!!! Play Nova tomorrow .

Silkcity. Fan of the year!

 

[PJVegas]

Way to fight back Ladies. Keep the momentum going!

 

[Halldan1]

Pirates Rally Late for Dramatic Opening Round Victory over DePaul - Seton Hall University Athletics

Down to their final four outs, the Pirates rallied from a 4-0 deficit to capture a thrilling walk-off win.

shupirates.com

Pirates Rally Late for Dramatic Opening Round Victory over DePaul​

4
DePaul 17-31

5
Seton Hall 39-16

Score By Innings

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	R	H	E
DePaul	0	0	0	0	2	2	0	4	9	1
Seton Hall	0	0	0	0	0	3	2	5	7	1

W: Smith, Shelby (14-6) L: POCHIE, Abbey (2-8)

Storrs, Conn – The Pirates completed a dramatic late-game comeback in the First Round of the BIG EAST Softball Championship on Wednesday, overcoming a four-run deficit with four outs left to walk off with a 5-4 victory over DePaul. With the win, the Pirates advance to take on No. 2 seed Villanova on Thursday afternoon.

How it Happened
The two sides engaged in a pitcher's duel through the first four innings, with Pirates' starter Kelsey Carr (Ridgewood, N.Y.) working her way out of a couple of threats. In the first inning, the Blue Demons put two runners in scoring position but were unable to score. In the second, Carr flashed some leather by snagging a comeback and firing on to first for the inning-ending double play.




DePaul struck first in the fifth, as RBI singles from Baylee Cosgrove and Anna Wohlers put the sixth-seeded Blue Demons ahead. In the sixth, DePaul loaded the bases with no outs and chased Carr from the circle. Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas) came on and nearly escaped the inning after back-to-back strikeouts, but a two-run single from Cosgrove doubled the Blue Demon lead.

The Pirates entered the bottom of the sixth with just one base hit against DePaul starting pitcher Bella Nigey. Andrea Perez (Corona, Calif.) worked a walk to begin the inning, but back-to-back strong defensive plays had the Pirates down to their final four outs. Taylor Hill (Little Falls, N.J.) dropped a single into center field to extend the inning for Carr. On an 0-2 pitch, the unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team performer launched a three-run home run to put the Pirates right back in the game.




Smith pitched the seventh as well, working around a one-out walk to keep it a one-run game heading to the bottom of the seventh. Olivia Gilbert (Johnston, R.I.) led off the inning and lined a game-tying solo home run off the left field foul pole to level things at 4-4.




The Seton Hall bats kept the pressure on. Hannah Alexander (Wrightstown, N.J.) singled to right field and Perez reached on an error to put the winning run on second. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, a tapper back to the pitcher recorded the second out of the inning. Hill would work a walk to load the bases, and once again Carr stepped to the plate in a crucial moment. On a 3-2 pitch, Carr laced a single into left center to score Miranda Arruda (Pawcatuck, Conn.) from third and deliver a memorable victory.








Notes & Numbers

• The Pirates will advance in the winners bracket to a matchup on Thursday afternoon against No. 2 seed Villanova at 3 p.m.
• This was the Pirates' fourth comeback win of 4+ runs in the fifth inning or later this season. It is also Seton Hall's fourth walk-off win of the season.
• This is the seventh game this season in which the Pirates have tied and/or taken the lead in the seventh inning or later.
• Carr's walk-off single was her second of the season, as she also had the walk-off hit against North Dakota on March 4.
• Carr now has 47 runs batted in on the season, the third-most in a year in program history and the most since Alexis Walkden's record-setting 51 RBI in 2015.
• Before her game-tying home run, Gilbert had gone just 3-for-35 (.086) over her previous 12 games.
• Gilbert's home run was her first since March 28 at Monmouth. It was also her second clutch home run at Burrill Family Field this season, as her two-run home run against UConn on March 12 proved to be the difference in the 3-1 victory.

What's Next
The Pirates take the field again on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. for a showdown with No. 2 seed Villanova. The game can be seen live on the BIG EAST Digital Network.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Hall tied in extra innings at 6-6. Nova down to last batter had a walk and HR.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Smith gave up game tying HR and now has hit a 3run HR in the top of 9th. Babe Ruth material. Still batting leading 9-6.

 

[silkcitypirate]

We Win 9-6 !!!!!!

 

[hallgrad80]

The way they’ve won both games should give them confidence that they’re a team that will never quit and will be tough to beat .

 

[mbraue]

We Win 9-6 !!!!!!

The ladies are a fun team to watch! Saw the final game at home against Butler. No quit in this team!

 

[Halldan1]

�

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9		R	H	E	L
SHU	2	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	3		9	14	1
Nova	4	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0		6	5	0

 

[PJVegas]

The ladies are a fun team to watch! Saw the final game at home against Butler. No quit in this team!

As long as you don’t have cardiac problems. Lol 😂 That said, way to go Ladies!!!!

 

[NYC Pirate]

Looks like they play UConn at noon on FS2. Its a huge game plain and simple. They all have to hit and put up a good number of runs.

 

[Halldan1]

Smith's Heroics Guide Pirates to Extra Innings Win over Villanova - Seton Hall University Athletics

Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas) knocked in a BIG EAST Tournament record seven runs, including the game-winning three-run home run in the ninth inning, ...

shupirates.com

Smith's Heroics Guide Pirates to Extra Innings Win over Villanova​

Storrs, Conn –Shelby Smith (Friendswood, Texas) knocked in a BIG EAST Tournament record seven runs, including the game-winning three-run home run in the ninth inning, as the Pirates defeated No. 2 seed Villanova, 9-6, on Thursday afternoon. With the win, the Pirates advance to take on top-seeded UConn on Friday at 12 p.m.

How it Happened
The Seton Hall bats got off to a hot start, plating two runs in the first inning on an RBI-double from Smith. After Villanova scored four in its half of the first to take the lead, the Pirates responded with two in the second on run-scoring hits by Taylor Hill (Little Falls, N.J.) and Kelsey Carr (Ridgewood, N.Y.).







In the fourth inning, Smith stepped to the plate with the game still knotted at 4-4. The senior rocketed a pitch to right center for another two-run double to give Seton Hall the lead.




While Smith was driving in runs at the plate, she continued to dominate in the circle. After the first inning, she only allowed three baserunners and no hits through the sixth inning. However, Villanova would get to Smith in the seventh for a two-run home run to tie things up at 6-6.

After a scoreless eighth, the Pirates had the middle of their order up with a chance to retake the lead. After Hill singled and Carr walked, Smith launched a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right center for a go-ahead three-run home run.






One pitch after Smith's home run, Abby Wingo (Portland, Ore.) grounded a single up the middle into center field to break the single season hits record in Seton Hall history.






Notes & Numbers

• The Pirates' win was their 40th of the season, reaching the plateau for just the second time in program history.
• The last time the Pirates won 40 games was in 2004, when they won 46 contest en route to the program's first ever BIG EAST title.
• Smith's seven RBI set a new BIG EAST Tournament record and matched the Seton Hall single-game record.
• Smith's fourth inning double was the 100th hit of her career.
• Hill recorded the first four-hit game by a Pirate since Ashly Colonnetta (Cypress, Texas) did so against Georgetown on April 16, 2022
• With a win over UConn on Friday, Seton Hall would advance to Championship Saturday. A loss would mean the Pirates would play in an elimination game on Friday night at 6 p.m.

What's Next
The Pirates square off with UConn on Friday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. on FS2.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Shelby Smith with Grand Slam in bottom of third. Hall lead UConn. 5-2.. Game on FS2.

 

[NYC Pirate]

SHU lead 5-4 over UConn with Hall batting in bottom
of 5th.

 

[NYC Pirate]

Excellent to beat UConn., They won’t have an easy road to the Final Day.

 

[Halldan1]

TEAM	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		R	H	E	L
UConn	0	1	1	0	2	0	0		4	8	0
SHU	0	1	4	0	1	0	X		6	7	0

 

[STLPirate12]

What a response to the disappointment of losing the regular season championship on the final day!

Back to within 1 win of a trophy, and this one comes with an NCAA tournament bid. Let's get it done this time! Go Pirates!

 

[Halldan1]

 

[PJVegas]

Way to go Ladies! Now get that BE Tourney Title & NCAA bid. You’ve earned it.

 

[silkcitypirate]

View embedded media

They now have 41 wins even if they split tomorrow they would be 42 and 17 . They deserve a bid .

 

[Seton75]

Awesome job by all.

 

[rdefabri]

Which school will they play in the final?

 

[STLPirate12]

Which school will they play in the final?

Winner of UConn vs Villanova tonight

 

[Halldan1]

I smell a 14 extra inning game called by rain and continued tomorrow morning at 6AM. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[lloyde dobler]

They now have 41 wins even if they split tomorrow they would be 42 and 17 . They deserve a bid .

Northeast softball is a different animal as far as the national people are concerned.

 

[SHUisNJsTeam]

I smell a 14 extra inning game called by rain and continued tomorrow morning at 6AM. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

How about a nice blowout win for our Pirates instead called early on a mercy rule?

 

[STLPirate12]

How about a nice blowout win for our Pirates instead called early on a mercy rule?

Pretty sure Dan was referring to tonight's semi-final.

 

[SHUisNJsTeam]

Pretty sure Dan was referring to tonight's semi-final.

Oh, if that’s the case then, yes, let’s go with Dan’s plan for this evening! That would work nicely!

 

[NYC Pirate]

It will be Villanova vs SHU on Sat for the NCAA Bid at 4pm.

 

[silkcitypirate]

Northeast softball is a different animal as far as the national people are concerned.

Not fair BS lesser schools/conferences are ranked over them.

 

[mbraue]

How about a nice blowout win for our Pirates instead called early on a mercy rule?

Where are the 2 games being played?

It will be Villanova vs SHU on Sat for the NCAA Bid at 4pm.

where is it played? And why do we have 2 games to win it.

 

[SHUisNJsTeam]

Where are the 2 games being played?

where is it played? And why do we have 2 games to win it.

We only need one win. Game is against Villanova and tournament is at UConn in Storrs. It’s double elimination. We win the first then we win the championship. Nova already has one loss. If we lose (God forbid) then we have a second chance.