Seton Hall
Allender blasts three HRs, Pirates sweep Butler doubleheader
Date: April 6, 2019By Ronny Castaneda
The Seton Hall Pirates continued their scorching hot run this weekend as they took on the Bulldogs of Butler in a double header. The Pirates are winners of 5 of their last 6 contests, while averaging 8 runs in all contest, including a dominating 8-0 victory over St. Peters.
The Pirates came out swinging in the first game as they knocked in seven runs in the first inning, highlighted by Destini Peck’s two-run homer. Baylee Allender would immediately follow up with a home run of her own, the first of three on the day for the sophomore.
The Pirates would continue to rack up the hits as junior Hailey Arteaga scored off of a wild pitch, followed by another home run from Allender to put the Pirates up 10-1 heading into the fourth. Sophomore Janae Barracato would bring in her third and fourth RBI’s to put the pirates up 12-1.
The first game of the double header saw senior Madison Strunk start on the mound for Pirates. Strunk would pitch four innings, allowing just two runs off of eight hits. Senior Chrisa Head would come in and retire the final three batters while not allowing a single hit. Mercy rule would reward the first victory of the day to the Pirates.
The second game would see the offenses start slow as the game would be scoreless up until the fifth inning.
Butler’s Alyssa Graves traded zeroes with junior Reganne Camp throughout the majority of the matchup. Camp was tested throughout the matchup, as she would go on to pitch seven innings, and come back to replace Head in the eighth of extra innings. Head Coach Paige Smith said she had confidence in her junior pitcher.
“Reganne always knew she was going to be coming back into the game because she was dealing and feeling it.” said Smith. “When your pitchers are feeling it, you give them the ball.”
Both offenses fell victim to the dominant pitching as Alyssa Graves would only allow one run off of five hits and eight strikeouts for the Bulldogs. Camp would only allow one run off of four hits and six strikeouts in 7.2 innings pitched. Neither team would put up a run until the Bulldogs broke the ice off of an unearned run in the top of the fifth. Barracato would answer right back in the bottom of the inning with a slap up the middle to bring in Destini Peck for the tying run.
Allender would save her best for last, as she launched an absolute bomb in extra innings for the Pirates into left field for the walk-off win. Allender would finish the day with three homeruns and four total RBI’s in the double header. Head Coach Smith emphasized the role Allender played in the double header sweep of the Bulldogs.
“She’s been at the heart of our line-up the entire year,” said Smith “It’s so fun to watch her have a game like this, she been working hard for it.”
The Pirates now sit at 16-15 overall and 4-2 in conference play. Catch the pirates in action tomorrow as they look for the sweep of the Butler Bulldogs. The first pitch, is set at 12 pm, on wsou.net.
Ronny Castaneda can be reached at ronald.castaneda@student.shu.edu.
