Credit: GR Productions
Pirates Split Kickoff to 2025 Season in Louisiana Classic
Published: Sunday, February 9, 2025
by Lauren Reese
LAFAYETTE, LA. - The Seton Hall Pirates softball team officially welcomed their new season this past week, as they went down to the bayous of Louisiana to participate in the four-game Louisiana Classic tournament. The Pirates were able to split their four games, taking victory over Louisiana and Longwood, but falling to George Mason and a rematch vs Louisiana.
In the opening game of the tournament, and an exciting way to get things rolling, the Pirates stunned Louisiana and claimed a 4-2 victory. Despite the Raging Cajuns getting on the board first with a solo home run, the Pirates found their way to the scoresheet in the third thanks to a two-RBI swing from Olivia Gilbert.
While Kelsey Carr stayed on the mound and continued to retire batters, the Pirates' batting stayed persistent; a bases load walk and sac-fly from Erin Howard brought home Caroline Hobbes, Katey Brennan, and Taylor Hill.
Entering the last couple of frames, Louisiana added one more run onto their count, while the Pirates could not add any more. In the last inning, while the Raging Cajuns had the bases loaded, Carr had other plans for the opponent that recently went to the NCAA Regionals. She forced the last batter to pop up and out, and officially secure the season-opening dub.
The following day’s game brought a bit more frustration, as they fell 7-2 to the George Mason Patriots. Freshman Rachael Schumann made her collegiate debut on the mound, but allowed a few runs to accumulate early in the game. Kyra Kreuscher entered the game in place of Schumann, as the defense continued to look for some sense of answers being down a quick 7-0.
Hannah Alexander, back from missing last season with a shoulder injury, had a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth to bring home Brennan and Hill for the Hall. The team tried to cultivate something of a comeback with Karissa Dupuis taking on the mound, especially when a single from Amber Johnson and walk from Hill put them just a hair closer. Unfortunately, the efforts were not enough, as the Pirates fell.
The next day, the pendulum would swing back to favor the Pirates, as magic from Carr propelled the Pirates to a 5-3 win over Longwood. An RBI single from Howard drove home Brennan, and Andrea Perez drove one down the middle to bring home Carr, putting the Pirates up a quick 2-0.
The Longwood Lancers looked threatening at the plate, but Carr and her team continued to keep them quiet, only allowing one run. She then proceeded to crush a three-run home run in the fifth inning to put her team up 5-1.
Schumann returned to the mound to work some batters off, only giving up one (home) run. Carr stepped back in when the team was dealt another late-game opponent bases-loaded situation. She succeeded and solidified a 5-2 win.
In the final game of the Pirates trip, the Pirates could not replicate their previous magic, falling 9-1 in another matchup with the Raging Cajuns. The bottom of the second inning saw Louisiana burst with five runs, giving themselves plenty of comfortable room with the lead.
But the Pirates still put up a good fight; Hobbes made contact with a ball that forced the Cajun’s third baseman to commit an error, allowing the Hall to take one run back. At one point in the fourth, Seton Hall had two runners on, but a ground out prevented them from building upon that momentum.
Despite some more flurries of action by the offense, with an Alexander’ single and Perez and Hobbes getting on base, the Pirates could not add any more to the scoresheet. A double play to end that frame silenced them, and Louisiana put up three more runs in the sixth inning, as the Hall fell 9-1.
The Pirates will continue their travels and head to the FGCU Tournament, hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University, in Fort Myers, Florida. On their opening day, they’ll take on both Omaha and FGCU.
Lauren Reese is an Assistant Sports Director and can be reached at lauren.reese@student.shu.edu.Posted in: sports,