Seton Hall
Softball drops on the road to Stony Brook, 6-0
Date: April 16, 2019By Justin Morris
The long ball was the mantra for the game in Seton Hall softball’s most recent outing, this one a lone away matchup against neighboring opponent Stony Brook that they dropped 6-0.
Stony Brook, located in Suffolk County in Long Island, entered the game with a substantial record of 19-14. After securing multiple Big East wins during their spring campaign, including victories against Georgetown and a notable 25-6 thrashing of St. John’s last month, the Seawolves were primed and eager for the opportunity to steal a win from another power five conference squad.
Long Island was the site of the game, an away venture for the Pirates, who themselves had just come off three consecutive home losses to St. John’s that dipped their record below the .500 mark (17-19 entering the game.
Freshman ace Shelbi Denman took the mound for the Seawolves. A Las Vegas product, Denman has been one of the highest used pitchers on the team, and her 8-3 record, coupled with a 2.30 ERA on the season all but solidify this. The mark of consistency on the year, she began the game against Seton Hall no differently, shutting down the Pirates in order in the first inning. In the second, it looked as if the Pirates were going to string together some momentum after a Baylee Allender leadoff single, before two more singles allowed Jaden Tate, who had reached on a fielder’s choice after Allender’s hit, to advance to third.
Runners left in scoring position has long been a key area of improvement for the Pirates according to head coach Paige Smith though, and two fly outs later, they were left stranded with a three hit, no run second inning. Little did they know, those would be their last hits of the game. Denman proceeded to absolutely dominate Seton Hall on the mound, pitching a complete game shutout in one of her best performances of the season.
On the offensive side of the ball for Stony Brook, the home run was their fuel. Melissa Rahrich jumped on a Chrisa Head fastball in the first inning, mashing a two-run bomb to dead center, before two singles in the fourth inning set up a Chloe Vangorder three-run shot. The Seawolves were able to score another run on an error in the sixth, securing a 6-0 win and improving to 20-14, while the Pirates dropped to 17-20 on the season. They’ll have another chance for redemption when they start a three-game series with Providence on April 18th.
Justin Morris can be reached at justin.morris@student.shu.edu.
