Seton Hall
Pirates Cannot Contain USF'S Bats in Loss
Date: March 8, 2018
(Photo: SHU Athletics)
By: Jose Feliciano
The Seton Hall softball team (11-8) fell to the USF Bulls after a 9-0 loss in Tampa, Florida. The game ended due to mercy rule after five innings.
Junior pitcher Madison Strunk started the game for the Pirates and was coming off a dominant weekend performance at the Madeira Beach Invitational. Strunk won all three of her decisions over the weekend and had an ERA of 0.41, which got her named onto the Big East weekly honor roll. Strunk did not see success in her start against USF as she surrendered seven runs, which were all earned, 10 hits, and a walk while she struck out none. She only lasted four innings and was replaced by junior pitcher Chrisa Head, who gave up a walk-off home run to win it for USF.
Meanwhile, the Seton Hall offense had a tough time facing off against Bulls pitcher Cheyenne Eggens, who went the distance for USF as she pitched a complete game shutout while only surrendering four hits while striking out four. This was Eggens second straight complete game shutout.
Janae Barracato, who was recently named as the Big East Player of the Week for the first time in her collegiate career, was one of the four Pirates to get a hit in the game. The hit was her fifth of the season. The only other Pirates to get hits were Emily Supercynski, who also hit a double, and Payton Beaver and Hailey Arteaga, who each hit singles. No Pirate made it past second base throughout the game.
USF's offense was led by the trio of Brooke Hartman, Lindsey Devitt, and Samantha Worrell, as the three of them had a combined eight RBIs in the game. Devitt drove in the most runs for USF as she had five RBIs in the game. Each of them had a home run in the contest, with Worrell's being a two-run shot to win the game for the Bulls.
The Pirates caught the Bulls at the wrong time as the team is in the midst of a hot streak. The win for USF was their fifth straight.
The Pirates will return look to redeem their loss this upcoming weekend as they will participate at the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater, Florida. They begin their weekend with a doubleheader on Friday, March 9, first against South Dakota State and then against an opponent they faced last weekend, the Loyola Ramblers.
Jose Feliciano can be reached at jose.feliciano@student.shu.edu.
