Pirates Can't Top No. 9 UConn In Extras, 3-2

Saturday, May 6

Storrs, CT

4:05 p.m.

Seton Hall University

25-21, 0

Connecticut

34-11, 0

Seton Hall

Connecticut

5/6/2023 8:50:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score BOX SCORE.pdf

Storrs, Conn. - Sophomore pitcher Daniel Frontera (Red Bank, N.J.) turned his best start of the season, allowing no earned runs and striking out a career-high five batters in 5.2 innings of work but Seton Hall couldn't get past No. 9 UConn as the Huskies took game two, 3-2, in 11 innings on Saturday afternoon.

Frontera's second-longest outing of the season put the Pirates (25-21, 7-7 BIG EAST) in position to even up the series but 10 runners left on base doomed The Hall. Senior Oscar Murray (Brentwood, Calif.) went 2-for-4 and redshirt junior Will Gale (Scotch Plains, N.J.) and sophomore Pat D'Amico (Lynnfield, Mass.) tallied RBIs.

THE GAME:

UConn got on the board first in the bottom of the first inning but the Pirates responded with two runs in the top of the second. Junior Max Viera (Greenwood Lake, N.Y.) and redshirt junior Devin Hack (Somerville, N.J.) both reached on walks and stole bases that moved them into scoring position. With one out, Gale chopped a grounder deep into the hole between third base and shortstop that was fielded but it was hit deep enough for Gale to reach first and Viera to score from third. A groundout to third off the bat of D'Amico plated Hack and it put the Pirates out in front, 2-1.

Seton Hall had two runners on in the top of the third and eventually loaded the bases with two outs but it couldn't get a run across. Frontera operated efficiently despite putting runners on in each inning he threw. Junior Aaron Groller (Harleysville, Pa.) came on for Frontera with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning and he induced a lineout to redshirt junior Jonathan Luders (Lynnfield, Mass.) at second base that ended the inning.

After the Pirates stranded a runner on base in the top of the seventh, the Huskies tied the score the in the home half on an RBI double. Junior Jay Allmer (Cary, N.C.) bounced back after allowing the game-tying run and retired the side in order in the bottom of the eighth before combining with freshman Ryan Reich (Sellinsgrove, Pa.) to blank the Huskies again the ninth.

In extras, the Pirates put two runners on in the 10th and a runner on in the 11th but couldn't plate the go-ahead run. UConn took advantage in the bottom of the 11th as they walked-off with a two-out RBI single.

NEWS & NOTES

11 innings is the Pirates' longest game this season and they're now 1-1 in extra inning games in 2023.
Seton Hall pitching combined to strike out 11 UConn batters.
This is only the Pirates' second BIG EAST series defeat this season.
Reich struck out three batters in 2.1 innings or work and is now up to 31 strikeouts on the season, the fourth most on the team.
Murray now has 11 multi-hit games this season.
Hack stole his 24th base on Saturday and is a perfect 24-for-24 on the stolen bases this season.

UP NEXT:

The series finale between the Pirates and the Huskies is set for 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.