WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep baseball team dropped to 5-3 on the season with a 1-2 week. On Monday, April 11, they lost 4-3 at Porcello Field to Montclair. After the Mounties jumped out to a 3-0 lead, the Pirates scored one run in the third inning when senior catcher Aaron Bertone walked, courtesy runner junior Evan Ravalli went to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single to left field by junior Elijah Foster. The following inning the Pirates made it 3-2 when senior Chris Maldonado walked, stole second and scored on a single to left centerfield by senior Luke Mahala, In the fifth inning, Seton Hall tied the score when Maldonado tripled to right centerfield and scored when Mahala singled to right field. Montclair scored the decisive run thanks to a single to right centerfield in the top of the seventh. Senior Ryan Sprock took the loss, hurling for five innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on six hits with seven strikeouts and no walks.
On Wednesday, April 13, the Pirates traveled to Caldwell High School and dropped a 6-3 decision to the Chiefs. Seton Hall scored one run in the top of the first when junior catcher James Grizzetti walked and courtesy runner Ravalli scored when senior Sam Nomura singled to centerfield. After Caldwell scored two runs in the first inning and four runs in the fourth, the Pirates cut the lead to 6-2 when Mahala launched a solo home run to left field. In the sixth inning, the Pirates scored again when Mahala led off the inning with a double to left center field and scored on an infield ground out by pinch hitter junior Berkeley Harsch. Junior Andrew Merklinger from West Orange threw three scoreless innings in relief, allowing one hit with five strikeouts and one walk.
The next day, the Pirates traveled to Livingston High School and defeated the Lancers 5-1 in a five-inning, rain-shortened game. Senior righthander John Cerwinski threw a complete game, allowing one earned run on one hit with seven strikeouts and two walks. In the top of the first, the Pirates scored one run when Sprock singled in Maldonado. After Livingston tied the score, Seton Hall took a 2-1 lead in the third when Maldonado walked and scored on a double to center field by Sprock. They extended their lead to 5-1, scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. Mahala had a sacrifice fly to center field, and Bertone and Foster had back-to-back RBI doubles.
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