Recap: Pirates go winless at the Gamecock Invitational in South Carolina

Date: February 28, 2021

By: Madison Fruchter

Seton Hall Athletics

350 days have passed since the Seton Hall Pirates last took the field on March 10, 2020. Their season, like so many others, was cut short due to the impending pandemic. After almost a full year of rest, the Pirates opened up their season in Columbia, S.C. at the Gamecock Invitational.

 

The Pirates are coming off of a 10-14 record as they took the field early Friday morning. Their previous season was marked by much offensive efficiency, and with returning players such as Baylee Allender who led the team in hits and RBIs in 2020, the Pirates needed to assert their offensive dominance and capitalize off of their opponents’ defensive shortfalls throughout the weekend.

 

The Pirates had a steep hill to climb this weekend as two out of three of their opponents were nationally ranked and all three had at least one game under their belt before the invitational. The Longwood Lancers (1-3) were their only unranked opponent, and after their 3-2 upset over Georgia last weekend, they were sure to enter this invitational with confidence. The South Carolina Gamecocks had homefield advantage as well as the No. 18 seat in the country, not to mention their .504 hitting percentage as a team. Finally, the Pirates would face No. 16 Duke on Saturday for the first time in program history.

While we wait for Game 2 let's take a look Darby's first homer for the Pirates this season!

(with some insight from a few old friends)#HALLin ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/rJtvv24wIk

— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) February 26, 2021

The Pirates opened up the invitational early on Friday morning against the Lancers. Freshman standout Kelsey Carr made her pitching career debut all while holding the Lancers scoreless until the bottom of the fifth, where a round of base hits drove three Lancers home to hold a three-run lead over the Pirates. A scoreless sixth inning left the Pirates looking for an answer in the top of the seventh. Shelby Smith’s single allowed her to get on base as Darby Pandolfo entered the box, and like clockwork Pandolfo delivered a well-needed spark in the Pirates’ offensive performance.

 

An electric homerun to left center sent Pandolfo and Smith home while tacking on the first two runs of the day for the Pirates. Despite their late game efforts, the Lancers’ infield defense prevented any more Pirates from getting to scoring position, and the Pirates left their first game of the day with a 3-2 loss. Carr delivered eight strikeouts in her first game as a Pirate while Pandolfo led the team with two RBIs.

 

The Pirates had a quick turnaround as they took the field just 30 minutes after their defeat to Longwood. Though their previous game was slow to start, this was quite the opposite against the Gamecocks as the hosts hammered five runs in the bottom of the first. Katie Prebble and Jordan Fabian homered while Mackenzie Boesel’s double brought in an extra run. Two more runs were added to the Gamecocks’ total in the bottom of the second and gave them a seven-run edge over the Pirates, who found an answer at the top of the third. On a throwing error, Allender was able to make it home to score the Pirates’ first run of the game, and a walk by Gamecock pitcher Bailey Betenbaugh led Abby Wingo home.

 

At this point, the Pirates were in a game of catch-up, and unfortunately, they could not close the gap by the bottom of the fifth; the Gamecocks scored the final two runs of the game, securing an 11-3 win over the Pirates.

End of 2 | DUKE 2 - SHU 0

Shelby Smith with a 1-2-3 inning including a K to keep the Blue Devils off the board!#HALLin ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/pK5c0yFnMa

— Seton Hall Softball (@SHUSoftball) February 27, 2021

The Pirates did not start the second day of the invitational on the right foot as the Blue Devils held them scoreless throughout the entire game. Their offensive ability was not totally stunted by the No. 16 Duke defense; the Pirates were able to get on base many times, though their opponents’ fielding proved successful in stopping them from making it back to home plate. The Pirates, however, did have a stronger hold on the Blue Devils defensively than they did in their previous game against the Gamecocks. Duke’s eight-run lead by the bottom of the sixth closed out the first game of their series, allowing only one Pirate, Pandolfo, to head back to the locker room with a hit. While the Pirates and Blue Devils threw nearly the same number of strikes, 47 and 49 respectively, Seton Hall had more than double the number of balls thrown: 49 compared to the Blue Devils’ 22.

 

This unfortunate string of losses did not faze the Pirates, as the Seton Hall defense applied pressure to the Gamecocks in their second game on Saturday afternoon. Carr and the Pirate infield allowed only one run in the first three innings, a huge turnaround from their Friday performance. Janae Barracato put the Pirates on the board early in the sixth inning after her infield single down the line gave Pandolfo the opportunity to make it home, cutting the Gamecocks’ lead to two.

 

While the Pirates ended up losing by a score of 3-1, they held South Carolina, who came into the invitational outscoring their opponents 38-10, at an arm’s length away thanks to their defense, including their 62.9 strike percentage.

 

The Pirates’ last Sunday morning game was quite eventful just in the top of the first. Duke’s Gisele Tapia homered, bringing in Davis with her, and Caroline Jacobsen’s double to center field brought Jameson Kavel home as well. A Pirate error forfeited one more run to give the Blue Devils a four-run lead by the middle of the first. Two hit batters in the top of the third by Seton Hall’s Cadyn Ehrenberg loaded up the bases but luckily the Pirates’ fielding prevented any opportunity for the Blue Devils to capitalize.

@SHUSoftball via Twitter

Things began to turn around in the bottom of the third when a single by Smith allowed Barracato to score the first run of the game for the Pirates. Ehrenberg continued to be stellar on the mound, leaving the Blue Devils scoreless through the third and fourth innings. Though the Pirates let another run slip through their fingers, their defense was on fire through the remainder of this game, allowing no runs in the final two innings.

 

Although the outcome was unfavorable, the Pirates saw a huge development compared to the beginning of the invitational. They ended the weekend with a 6-1 loss. This obviously is not how the Pirates intended to begin their season; such a challenging weekend on top of a long ride home will weigh heavily on the team.

 

However, through adversity comes strength. Throughout the weekend, it’s clear that the Pirates began to adapt to what their opponents threw at them, specifically in their second matchup against the Gamecocks and the Blue Devils. This type of adaptation will be important in tackling their upcoming Big East opponents and gaining their footing in the conference. The Pirates must take their experience this weekend and use it to fuel a successful season, starting with their double header against Fordham on March 6 at home.

Madison Fruchter can be reached at madison.fruchter@student.shu.edu.

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