CINCINNATI, OH.  — With the game tied at six entering the eighth inning, sophomore Frank Esposito (Staten Island, N.Y.) ripped a two-out two-run single up the middle to put Seton Hall ahead of Cincinnati for good, 8-6, in game one of a doubleheader Friday afternoon. With the win, coupled with a Pittsburgh win, the winner of game two will clinch the final berth into the BIG EAST Conference Tournament.

Sophomore A.J. Rusbarsky (Freehold, N.J.) led off the eighth inning with a double followed by a walk by junior Michael Rogers (Portland, Ore.).  With one-out, senior Chris Affinito (East Brunswick, N.J.) delivered a slow roller to the pitcher moving Rusbarsky to third base and Rogers to second before Esposito came through with run scoring hit.

The Pirates (25-23, 13-13) jumped out to an early lead when freshman Will Walsh (New Milford, N.J.) belted a two-out three run home run over the right field wall in the top of the second inning.

Cincinnati (28-17, 12-14) cut their deficit to, 3-2, when Zach Collaros hit an RBI double in the bottom of the second and an RBI single by Justin Riddell in the third inning.

Pirates freshman Charlie Rivera (Hazlet, N.J.) started a three-run fifth inning with a two-out run scoring single and scored along with Affinito on a Bearcat fielding error.

Trailing, 6-2, Lance Durham put Cincinnati within three with an RBI single in the home half of the fifth.  T.J. Jones erased the deficit with a three-run home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth.

Rivera finished the game 4-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored, and an RBI while Rusbarsky and Affinito finished with two hits and a run scored each.

Freshman Collin McGowan (Stratford, N.J.) (1-1) earned his first collegiate victory with three strikeouts in 1.1 scoreless innings of relief, while junior Matt Singer (Bayonne, N.J.) picked up his third save of the year with 1.1 scoreless innings of relief.  Dan Jensen (3-4) suffered the loss allowing two runs on one hit in two-thirds of an inning.