WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep baseball team went 3-1 this past week to raise its record to 5-4-1 on the season.
On Monday, April 17, the Pirates hosted Livingston at Porcello Field and defeated the Lancers 8-2. Senior James Macko picked up the victory, pitching four innings and allowing two runs on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks. Senior and West Orange resident Andrew Merklinger picked up the save, throwing three innings with two strikeouts and two walks. Sophomore Marcelo Harsch was 2 for 2 with three RBIs while freshman Jordan Burwell, sophomore William Mahala. junior Jonathan Rodriguez and senior Ryan Probst all drove in one run apiece.
On Wednesday, April 19, the Pirates traveled to Woodman Field in Montclair and defeated the Mounties 10-4 coming from behind. Trailing 3-0 in the top of the fourth, Seton Hall took a 4-3 lead on a two-run double by sophomore catcher Henry Ayers and a two-run home run by Burwell.
After Montclair tied the score with a run in the fourth, the Pirates took the lead for good with four runs in the sixth when Harsch had an RBI single, junior Marty Edson had an RBI sacrifice fly to right field, and Probst had a two-run double down the right-field line. In the seventh, Harsch had an RBI fielder’s choice and Elijah Foster had an RBI double to left field. Junior Andrew Hladik threw five innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on five hits with seven strikeouts and two walks to pick up the victory.
On Friday, April 21, at Porcello Field, senior right-hander Elijah Foster pitched a masterful game and the Pirates defeated the No. 2-ranked team in New Jersey, Millburn, 3-0. Foster pitched 6 1/3 innings allowing one hit, a one-out single in the fifth, with nine strikeouts and one walk. Senior Berkeley Harsch got the final two outs with one strikeout and one hit allowed.
The Pirates scored two runs in the first inning when Burwell laced a two-run single to center field. In the second inning, senior Evan Ravalli had an infield single, and with two outs, scored on an infield throwing error.
Following the game, Foster said, “I felt really good out there. All of my four pitches were working for me today. I was focused on every batter to get ahead and I did most of the game. I trusted my defense behind me and they got the job done.”
The next morning, visiting Msgr. Farrell, of Staten Island, N.Y., defeated the Pirates 6-0. Probst and Harsch each had singles, Mahala and Harsch were each hit by a pitch, and sophomore Michael Bravette and senior James Grizzetti each drew a walk as the only Pirate baserunners.
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