March 26, 2008

Box Score

NEWARK, NJ - Mark Pappas went 4-for-5, including a fourth-inning home run, and drove in three runs for Seton Hall Wednesday, as the visiting Pirates dealt NJIT a 13-3 baseball loss in the Highlanders' 2008 home opener at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.

Pappas, a senior shortstop, was one of five Pirates to get a base hit in a five-run top of the first inning that put Seton Hall in the driver's seat for the rest of the afternoon.

The Highlanders came back with single runs in the first and the second inning, but Seton Hall scored four runs in the fourth, highlighted by Pappas' two-run blast to left field that put the game beyond NJIT's reach.

Seton Hall also got a home run and three runs batted in from its cleanup hitter, 1B Chris Affinito, who singled home a run in the first inning and hit a two-run opposite field homer to right center field in the sixth inning.

Corner outfielders Chris Spagnuolo and Matt Smedberg each added two hits for the Pirates.

Freshman LHP Chris Roach started and got his first college win for Seton Hall, working the first five innings and allowing two runs on three hits, with three strikeouts and a walk.

Four Pirate relievers combined to finish the game, allowing NJIT three hits and one run over the last four innings.

Freshman C Matt Tomczyk was the only Highlander with more than one hit. He finished 2-for-3, including his first career triple, which drove in NJIT's second run.

LF Craig Binkiewicz doubled leading off the bottom of the first inning and later scored on a ground out by DH Matt Schlitter. And 2B Miguel Lugo hit a one-out triple and scored on another Schlitter ground out RBI in the sixth inning.

Junior LHP PJ Saporito (1-5) was the starting pitcher for the Highlanders. He yielded nine runs on eight hits in 3.1 innings, exiting the game after the Pappas homer in fourth inning.

NJIT used four relievers and all four threw well.

RHP Mike Burgaleta replaced the starter, Saporito, with four runs in and one out in the fourth inning and closed the door on Seton Hall. Burgaleta and then blanked the Pirates in the fifth and two outs into the sixth before his outing was blemished by Affinito's home run.

RHP Chris Parenti allowed a single run in his inning of work; RHP Spiro Molfetas allowed an unearned run, but struck out the side in the eighth; and, LHP Matt Melody blanked the Pirates in the ninth.

Seton Hall (12-10) completed a sweep of the two-day home-and-home series against NJIT, having beaten the Highlanders, 6-1, on Tuesday in South Orange.

Wednesday's game was also the fourth and final game of 2008 against Big East teams for the Highlanders, who are in their second season of Division I competition. The Highlanders lost earlier in the month at Rutgers and fell to Pitt last week in Florida.

NJIT is back in action this weekend against another strong foe, Monmouth, which competed in the 2007 NCAA Division I Tournament. The Highlanders will visit the Hawks on Friday (3 pm) and Saturday (1 pm), before returning home to host Monmouth on Sunday at 1 pm at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.