June 3, 2011
Seton Hall 4, Arizona 0 (Box Score)
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Jon Prosinski threw a complete game shutout for Seton Hall as the No. 3-seeded Pirates knocked off No. 2-seeded Arizona in the opening game of the College Station Regional at Olsen Field on Friday afternoon.
Seton Hall (34-23) advances to Saturday's winner's bracket game against the winner of tonight's Texas A&M/Wright State game. Arizona (36-20) will play the loser of the game in an elimination contest at 12:35 p.m. CDT on Saturday.
The Pirates broke through with four runs on three hits and an error in the top of the fourth inning against Arizona starter Kurt Heyer. Sean Gusrang doubled down the left field line to lead off the fram. Dale Anderson's single put runners at the corners with no outs, which allowed Giuseppe Papaccio to drive in the game's first run with an RBI single to center.
With runners at first and second, the Pirates looked to move the runners. A.J. Rusbarsky put a bunt down the first base line, which was fielded by Cole Frenzel, who tried to cut down the runner advancing to third base. Frenzel's throw to third was late, leaving the bases loaded with no outs. A fielder's choice groundout by Will Walsh drove in a second run and again left runners at the corners.
With Frank Esposito at the plate, Walsh took of for second. Catcher Jett Bandy's throw to second was low and ricocheted off Walsh's knee on the slide and into left field. Papaccio, who initially stayed at third on the throw, easily scored from third base, and Walsh scampered all the way in from second base with the fourth run.
That was plenty of offense for Prosinski, who quieted the Wildcats' bats all afternoon. Arizona mustered just six hits off the right-hander, who improved to 7-4 on the season.
Arizona did squander a couple of scoring chances in the game as it left seven runners on base.
In a scoreless game in the third inning, Seth Mejias-Brean collected a two-out single and moved to second base when the catcher, Esposito, threw wildly to first on a pickoff attempt. Joey Rickard drew a walk that put two runners on, but Bryce Ortega grounded out to end the threat.
The Wildcats' next-best scoring chance came in the eighth inning. Pinch-hitter Johnny Field hit a sharp one-hop grounder to second baseman Mike Genovese, who was unable to corral the ball as Field reached on the error. One out later, Bryce Ortega singled to put a pair of runners on, but Frenzel and Robert Refsnyder each flew out to end the inning.
Prosinski pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning to preserve the shutout. He finished the game with three strike outs and just one walk issued.
Heyer, who allowed seven hits over the first three innings, did not allow a hit over the next 2.2 innings. He pitched into the seventh inning before being lifted.
Four Wildcat relievers - Bryce Bandilla, Tyler Hale, Vincent Littleman an Matt Chaffee - pitched to the final nine Pirate hitters in the game. Seton Hall collected just one hit off the bullpen, but rew three walks and stranded six runners over the final three frames.
Arizona will look to stay alive in the double-elimination tournament when it takes the field on Saturday at 12:35 p.m. CDT. The Wildcats play the loser from tonight's game between Texas A&M and Wright State.
