PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa.—A strong start on the mound by freshman Nick Lorusso (Monroe, Conn.) and a five-run burst in the bottom of the third inning had Villanova (7-22, 1-2 BIG EAST) out to an early lead, but Seton Hall (13-14, 2-1 BIG EAST) tied the game with four runs in the seventh inning and later went on to tally a 7-5 victory in 10 innings at the Villanova Ballpark at Plymouth on Sunday afternoon.  The visiting Pirates took two of three games in a closely contested weekend series that lived up to all that could have been expected between a pair of longtime rivals. 
 
Lorusso reached season highs with six innings pitched and seven strikeouts in his third pitching start of the year.  He allowed just one earned run on six hits while walking two, with the only run against him scoring in the top of the fifth inning.  Lorusso avoided further trouble in that inning with a strikeout and a groundball to first for the final two outs of the frame, then navigated around his only two walks of the game in the sixth inning by getting a pair of big outs. 
 
Freshman shortstop Dylan McNary (Jefferson, Mass.) hit a three-run double and junior left fielder Timothy Lilly (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) had a two-run double to fuel the Wildcats barrage of runs in the third inning.  Villanova sent 10 men to the plate in the inning and chased Seton Hall starting pitcher Noah Thompson, who departed after giving up five runs on two hits and three walks in 2 2/3 innings of work. 
 
The table was set for a big inning when the Wildcats loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the third on a single by junior right fielder Tyler Bruno (Breinigsville, Pa.), a hit by pitch of junior third baseman John Heilenbach (Western Springs, Ill.) and a walk to freshman catcher Will Reiner (Madison, Conn.).  That brought up McNary, who quickly fell into an 0-2 hole before driving a ball deep into the gap in left-center field for a bases-clearing double.  Walks to Lorusso and junior first baseman Ryan Toohers (Florham Park, N.J.) loaded the bases a second time in the inning, and following a two-out pitching change Lilly snuck a ball just inside the third base bag for a two-run double down the line. 
 
Villanova carried a 5-1 lead into the seventh inning before the Pirates rallied to tie the game.  Much like the Wildcats bottom of the third inning, Seton Hall set the stage for what was to come by loading the bases with nobody out.  Connor Hood and Jerry Huntzinger singled to start the inning before Casey Dana was hit by a pitch.  Two batters later and with one out in the inning, Matt Toke hit a two-run single to right which was followed by Mike Esposito singling home a run on what was designed to be a safety squeeze play.  Toke later scored on a fielding error to tie the game. 
 
Sophomore center fielder Chris Rotondo (Redding, Conn.) singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning and junior pinch hitter Dominic Sarro (North Riverside, Ill.) reached on an error with one out in the bottom of the ninth as the Wildcats twice put the potential go-ahead and winning runs on base.  They each wound up left on base however, as Seton Hall relievers Tyler Burnham and Corey Sawyer (1-0, 2.08 ERA) combined for 7 1/3 innings with just three hits and one walk allowed. 
 
Villanova played an extra inning game for the first time this season, and in the top of the 10^th inning Dana led off for the Pirates with a double to left-center.  Christian Del Castillo sacrificed him to third and the Wildcats brought the infield in to guard against the go-ahead run.  Toke hit a sharp grounder to short, but Dana beat the throw home on the fielder's choice as Seton Hall took its first lead of the game.  Steve Grober tripled with two outs in the inning to add an insurance run and account for the final 7-5 margin. 
 
The weekend overall was an encouraging one for Villanova, which stretched the Pirates to the limit despite eventually losing two of three in the first BIG EAST series of the season.  The teams split a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon to open the series, with the Wildcats winning the opener by a 6-5 margin and Seton Hall taking the nightcap by a 6-3 score. 
 
Villanova will be back in action on Tuesday afternoon when it hosts Saint Joseph's at 3 p.m.