Box Score

Friday, May 9
W, 7-5 | Box Score

Saturday, May 9
Seton Hall (RHP Zach Prendergast) at Villanova (RHP Ryan Doty)
12:30 p.m. | Radio |

Saturday, May 9
Seton Hall (LHP Anthony Elia) at Villanova (LHP Josh Harris)
30 minutes after G1 of DH | Radio | GameTracker

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa. - The Villanova baseball team (20-24, 6-7 BIG EAST) won the first game of the series on Friday from the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth by a 7-5 final over Seton Hall (21-21, 6-7 BIG EAST). The teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a doubleheader. Game one on Saturday will begin at 12:30 p.m. The Wildcats will honor its four seniors before the start at 12:20 p.m.

Behind six-plus innings from Hunter Schryver (W, 1-5) and Emmanuel Morris' go-ahead two-run double in the third, Villanova was able to secure the Friday victory.

The Wildcats struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Todd Czinege doubled in Adam Goss, who led the game off with a hit by pitch.

But Seton Hall took the lead the following inning in the top of the second. The Pirates tacked on three runs after a leadoff double to Sal Annunziata followed by a walk. A sacrifice bunt put the runners on second and third before Annunziata scored on a wild pitch. Derek Jenkins also recorded a two-out, two-run single in the inning to put the Pirates up, 4-1.

In the third inning, Seton Hall extended its lead to three runs with a leadoff triple off the bat of Zack Weigel. Weigel came into score on the ensuing at-bat when he was singled home.

Trailing 4-1, Villanova buckled down and put up four runs up in the third inning to take a 5-4 lead. Czinege started the inning with a single to left. With one out, Kevin Jewitt singled to put runners on first and third. Donovan May followed it up with a RBI-single to score Czinege from third while Jewitt took his place on the corner. Zander Retamar singled on the first pitch of his at-bat, like May, to score Jewitt from third. At the time, Villanova was within one run of tying the game up.

With two outs, Morris came to the plate and blasted a double over the centerfielder's head that rolled to the wall. May scored from second while Retamar hustled home to score from first as Villanova took a 5-4 lead.

Villanova added a sixth run in the following inning when Max Beermann singled to right field to score Eric Lowe, who had led off the inning with a double.

Schryver surrendered an RBI double in the fifth that got the Pirates within one, but shut Seton Hall down in the sixth to hold onto the lead. The sophomore lefty faced one batter in the seventh before Kagan Richardson appeared in relief.

Richardson pitched 1.1 innings with a strikeout and a walk and held onto Villanova's one-run lead. Hard-throwing righty Max Almonte recorded the final two outs of the eighth to also preserve the margin.

Villanova received an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to 7-5. Morris led off with double down the left field line. After Adam Goss sacrificed him to third, Morris scored on a wild pitch to give the Wildcats a two-run lead.

Chris Haggarty shut down the Pirates in the final inning to record his ninth save of the year. Haggarty made his 78th overall appearance in the game, four shy of tying the school record (82).

The series concludes tomorrow, Saturday, May 9 with a doubleheader. The Wildcats and Pirates will play two nine-inning games starting at 12:30 p.m. Game two on Saturday will start roughly 30 minutes following the competition of game one. Villanova will also be honoring its four seniors around 12:20 p.m. before play begins. Live stats and live audio via Nova Nation All-Access will be available for both Saturday games.