UVa. baseball struggles continue with 5-2 loss to Seton Hall

The Virginia baseball team dropped a 5-2 contest to Seton Hall Sunday afternoon at Davenport Field. Virginia scored a pair of runs in the first inning to take the early lead, but the Pirates held UVa scoreless the rest of the way.

Virginia starting pitcher Scott Silverstein (Sr., Olney, Md.) tossed 6.0 innings, allowing three runs (one earned), six hits and a walk while striking out three. Silverstein (1-1) was credited with the loss.

Seton Hall reliever Benny Mejia (1-1) earned the win after tossing 2.0 scoreless innings of relief. Pirate starting pitcher Jose Lopez worked 3.0 innings, allowing two earned runs, six hits and two walks while striking out a pair.

Chris Taylor (Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.) picked up a pair of hits to pace the Cavaliers’ offense. UVa had seven hits in the first four innings but did not collect a hit over the final five frames. The Cavaliers hit into three double plays and left nine on base, including six in the first four innings.

Zack Granite and Alex Falconi each notched two hits for Seton Hall (4-7).

Virginia (6-4-1) scored a pair of runs in the first inning. Taylor led off with a single and moved to second on a Keith Werman (Sr., Vienna, Va.) sacrifice. Stephen Bruno (Jr., Audubon, N.J.) roped a double down the left-field line to plate Taylor and two batters later Jared King (Sr., Radford, Va.) ripped an 0-2 pitch into gap in right-center to bring Bruno home. UVa loaded the bases with one out, but a double play ended the threat.

Seton Hall cut the lead in half in the second inning as Dale Anderson led off with a triple to right-center and scored on a Will Walsh single.

The Pirates moved ahead with a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning. After Falconi led off with a single, Michael Betz bunted the runner to second, but Silverstein’s throw to first was errant and rolled down the warning track in foul territory, allowing Falconi to come around to score and Betz to reach third. Dillon Hamlin then hit a sacrifice fly to center to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Seton Hall padded its lead with a run in the eighth. After Hamlin drew a leadoff walk from reliever Justin Thompson (Sr., Danville, Va.), Giuseppe Papaccio bunted him to second and Granite tripled to center to score the run.

The Pirates added a final run in the ninth inning when Papaccio doubled home Betz.

Virginia travels to James Madison Tuesday for a 4 p.m. game with the Dukes.