WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. – Seton Hall scored eight runs in the first three innings on its way to a 10-1 victory over Monmouth at MU Baseball Field on Tuesday afternoon. With the loss, the Hawks fall to 24-16 and the Pirates improve to 22-16.
Adam Yunginger (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) got the start on the mound for the Hawks, working just two innings and allowing seven runs, only three of them earned on three hits and seven walks. Neil Harm (Hamilton, N.J./Steinert) came on to throw four innings in relief, allowing two earned on four hits, walking two and striking out two. Matt Reynolds (Hackettstown, N.J./Hackettstown) relieved him, tossing a scoreless seventh inning. Charlie Battis (Hamilton, N.J./Notre Dame) worked the eighth and ninth, allowing an unearned run. Josh Prevost started for Seton Hall, working seven innings and allowing just one run on eight hits, striking out a pair. Connor Delepine came on to throw a scoreless eighth and Conor Krauss finished things out with a scoreless ninth.
Monmouth was paced by Chris Perret (Morris Plains, N.J./Morris Catholic), who had a 3-for-5 day and Owen Stewart (Howell, N.J./St. Rose) who went 2-for-4 with a walk on the afternoon. Steve Wilgus (Woolwich, N.J./Gloucester Catholic) drove in the only MU run. Seton Hall got contributions from the top four in their order, who combined to go 5-for-17 with eight runs scored and five runs driven in. That included Giuseppe Papaccio, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI's and two runs scored. Sal Annunziata and Chris Selden each knocked in a pair of runs.
Seton Hall got on the board quickly against Yunginger, putting up three runs on one swing in the top of the first. After two men reached on a walk and hit by pitch respectively, Papaccio connected on a three-run homer down the left field line to stake Prevost to a 3-0 lead.
The Pirates would continue their offensive ways in the second inning, with Zack Granite reaching on an error by Jake Gronsky (Danville, Pa./Danville Area) to lead off. Granite swiped second and Scott Kalamar singled to right to score him. The next three batters would draw walks to force in another run, and Chris Selden served a two-out single into right to bring home another two runs and put Seton Hall up 7-0.
Seton Hall would tack on one more run on an RBI single through the hole to left field by Zack Weigel that scored Granite, who singled and stole second. The Hawks would get on the board soon after, when Jon Guida (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater Raritan) was hit by a pitch with one out in the bottom of the fourth, and Kyle Perry (Toms River, N.J./Toms River South) followed with an infield single that moved Guida to second. Connor White (Wall, N.J./Wall) would single back through the box to load the bases. Monmouth would convert on a groundout by Wilgus in which the first baseman bobbled the ball but Prevost caught the ricochet and flipped back to first to record the out.
Annunziata would double home another Seton Hall run in the sixth to push the lead to 9-1 against Harm. The Pirates manufactured another run in the eighth when pinch-hitter Kyle Grimm singled home Derek Jenkins.
Monmouth returns to action tomorrow when they take on Lafayette. First pitch is slated for 3:30 p.m. at MU Baseball Field.
