Pirates Outslug Mercer In Series Opener, 11-10 - Seton Hall University Athletics
The Seton Hall baseball team used 16 hits and 11 runs to take the series opener from Mercer as the Pirates defeated the Bears, 11-10, on Thursday afternoon.
Box
Baseball vs Mercer on 3/28/2024 - Box Score - Seton Hall University Athletics
The official box score of Baseball vs Mercer on 3/28/2024
Macon, Ga. -- The Seton Hall baseball team used 16 hits and 11 runs to take the series opener from Mercer as the Pirates defeated the Bears, 11-10, on Thursday afternoon.
Cole Zak (Cleveland, Ohio) hit his first home run of the season and provided key insurance runs in the top of the eighth with a two-run double. Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) returned to the leadoff spot for the Pirates (15-11) and he went 4-for-6 with two RBI. Andrew Bianco (Kings Park, N.Y.) and Max Viera (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) both collected three hits. Anthony Ehly (Glenside, Pa.) had five strikeouts in a four-inning start and Jay Allmer (Asheville, N.C.) recorded his second save of the season.
How It Happened
After Mercer crossed the plate in the bottom of the first inning to take an early 1-0 lead, the Pirates answered with five runs in the top half of the second. Bianco got it started with a game-tying, run-scoring double and Hack later drove in two runs on a base hit to center field that plated both Zak and Bianco. With two down, Staus Pokrovsky (Pittsgrove, N.J.) drove in two more Seton Hall with a double down the left field line that made it 5-1 Pirates.
Ehly tossed a scoreless second inning before Zak's solo home run in the top half of the third made it 6-1 in favor of Seton Hall. After putting up another zero in the bottom of the third, Ehly ran into trouble in the home half of the fourth as Mercer put two runs on the scoreboard with a pair of solo home runs that cut its deficit in half. The Hall would tally runs in the fifth and six innings but the Bears answered with the long ball on their trips to the dish.
Mercer made it a one-run game in the bottom of the seventh, 8-7, but the Pirates posted another big inning in the top of the eighth. With the bases loaded and one out, Danny Melnick (Hamilton, N.J.) gave the Pirates a 9-7 lead on a sacrifice fly that scored Pokrovsky. The next batter was Zak who served an opposite field double to the left center field gap that scored two runs and extended Seton Hall's lead to 11-7.
Despite the Bears making it a one-run game and getting the tying run on third in the bottom of the ninth inning, Allmer came on in relief and was able to retire the side to nail down the win.
Up Next
Game two is scheduled for tomorrow night at 6 p.m. The will be broadcast on ESPN+.
