WEST ORANGE, NJ – The Seton Hall Prep varsity baseball team went 3-1 last week, with its game against Livingston being postponed, to raise its record to 9-2 on the season.
On Monday, April 17, the Pirates hosted Millburn at Rick Porcello Field and lost, 9-3. Trailing 3-0 in the third inning, the Pirates scored two runs on an RBI fielder’s choice by Nick Maldonado, and Eric Vaz scored on an error. Trailing 7-2 in the fifth inning, Francis Prior had an RBI single.
On Wednesday, April 19, they hosted Verona and won 8-0 behind Maldonado (3-0) and Ryan Toal. Maldonado threw six innings, allowing one hit and one walk and striking out seven. Toal pitched the seventh, allowing one hit and striking out two. In the third inning, Maldonado had an RBI single and Nico Mottesi hit a three-run home run to make it 4-0. In the fourth inning, SHP tacked on four more runs on a three-run homer by Jack Zyska and Will Nomura, who singled early in the inning, scored on a wild pitch.
On Thursday, April 20, they hosted Roxbury and won, 4-0. West Orange’s Jamil Vanheyningen (2-1) pitched six innings and gave up two hits with nine strikeouts, while Steven Sgaramella pitched the seventh inning with one strikeout. SHP took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Maldonado had a sac fly, driving in Ryan Hebert, who opened the inning with a single. Hebert had a two-run double to right field to make the score 3-0 after four innings. They added their final run in the fifth inning on an RBI single by Nick Diaz.
On Saturday, April 22, they traveled to Carl Sandburg Middle School in Old Bridge to take on Old Bridge HS. In an outstanding game pitched by Jack Mahala, SHP won 1-0. Mahala allowed a one-out single in the bottom of the sixth and had six strikeouts in his complete-game effort. In the third inning, Vaz led off with a single to left field, Hebert sacrificed him to second base, Kevin Gately hit a ground ball to second base to move Vaz to third base, and Zyska singled to right field to drive in the only run of the game.
The seeding meeting for the 85th Greater Newark Tournament will be held on Tuesday night,April 25, at Columbia High School in Maplewood Seton Hall Prep has won 16 GNT titles, including the past four GNT titles. SHP has appeared in 22 GNT championship games.
The old baseball adage is that pitching and defense wins baseball games. Well, Seton Hall Prep has proven that out. In their nine wins this far this season, the pitching staff has done the following: 62 innings pitched, 24 hits allowed, 54 strikeouts, 10 walks, five runs allowed (four earned) and a 0.45 ERA. The team defense had just five errors.
In their two losses: 14-innings pitched, 19 hits, seven strikeouts, 11 walks, 15 runs allowed (five earned), and a 2.50 ERA. The team defense had 10 errors.
Since their two-game losing streak against Randolph and Millburn, they are 3-0. Pitching staff stats: 21 innings pitched, five hits allowed, 25 strikeouts, one walk, and no runs allowed. The team defense had just one error.
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