Tag: Friar Sports
A Year in PC Sports: Friars Make Run At Big East Title
by The Cowl Editor on May 3, 2018
Friar Sports
Basketball Team Falls Just Short of Third Championship
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
The Providence College Men’s Basketball Team had an overall successful regular season this year, going 21-14 overall and 10-8 during Big East play. While there were disappointing losses to DePaul University and to the University of Massachusetts-Amherst who would go on to finish 13-20 in the regular season.
This left some fans frustrated with the team’s performance, but the Friars certainly made up for those losses with home wins against top 10 ranked Villanova University and Xavier University.
Despite the impressive upsets, many basketball experts still had PC on the edge of being picked for the NCAA National Basketball Tournament. Most people believed the Friars had to pick up a win or two in the Big East tournament to solidify a spot in the field. With a first round matchup against Creighton University, who also finished 10-8 in the Big East, a win was no guarantee. But by the end of the tournament, the Friars accomplished more than enough to earn a bid.
The game against Creighton was tight the whole time as neither team had more than a three-point lead in the final 10 minutes of regulation. Alpha Diallo ’20 scored on a putback layup with 12 seconds left to tie the game at 59-59 and force overtime.
In OT, Kyron Cartwright ’18 scored five out of Providence’s 13 points to lead the Friars to a 72-68 victory over the Blue Jays and a matchup with first place Xavier. Diallo was the leading scorer for the team with 19 points while Cartwright and Rodney Bullock ’18 each had 13 points.
The semifinal game did not start the way Providence had hoped as they found themselves down 17 points early in the second half. The Friars then went on a miraculous 29-12 run to tie the game at 64, sparked by Cartwright and Nate Watson ’21, who had 10 points in the second half. The Friars would head into overtime tied 68-68.
Again, it was Diallo and Cartwright who led the team in OT. Cartwright hit the go-ahead shot with less than a minute to go to give the Friars a 73-70 lead and then drew an offensive foul on Xavier’s J.P. Macura to seal give the ball back to the Friars. Diallo scored four points into overtime and his last second free throws forced Xavier to shoot a three that was too late.
The unbelievable win sent the Friars to their third Big East Finals appearance in team history and first since winning the Big East in 2014. The only team left standing in their way was the defending Big East Champions, the Villanova Wildcats.
While it may have been a daunting task to upset a heavily favored Villanova team, the Friars were already able to upset the Wildcats at home earlier in the season and beat Xavier twice.
After a close first-half where the Friars found themselves down by four, Villanova made a run to extend its lead to 12 early in the second half. Luckily, the Friars found enough magic once again to make a comeback to tie the game late. Diallo gave the Friars a 60-58 lead with 40 seconds left in regulation before Villanova managed to the tie the game and force Providence’s third straight overtime game, a Big East tournament record.
In overtime, Villanova took complete control and Providence was outscored 16-6 in the extra minutes. Diallo finished with another great game, scoring 22 points and had 10 rebounds while Cartwright had 19 points.
Even though the Friars fell short of the title, the team played its best when it counted the most. After a season with several disappointing games, the Friars showed college basketball what they were capable of when they played their best, a team that plays tough defense and hustles until the end. Despite losing the first round of the national tournament, Providence’s remarkable run in the Big East tournament proved that the season was a success.
A Year in PC Sports: Miracle at the Dunk
by The Cowl Editor on May 3, 2018
Friar Sports
Basketball Season Highlighted by Upset Win Over ‘Nova
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
After seeing the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team come off an unexpected loss against DePaul University during the latter part of the week, the Friar faithful made sure to come out in force and rally behind their home team as they hosted the No. 2 ranked Villanova University Wildcats on Wednesday, February 14. Friar students stole the clothing headlines as they outmatched Villanova head coach Jay Wright and his fresh dry-cleaned suits with their pink Friar t-shirts to commemorate Pink Out in Friartown.
PC had gotten crushed by the Wildcats earlier in the year, but from the tip-off, Friar fans could see the team was going to fight all 40 minutes.
The Friars stuck with Villanova early on and had a 27-23 lead at half. PC’s defense held the Wildcats to 0-7 from behind the three point line in the first half.
Through the first 10 minutes of the second half, neither team could gain an edge. PC held a 49-47 lead when Rodney Bullock ’18 finished with an electric one-handed slam dunk that sent the Dunkin’ Donuts Center into a frenzy.
Villanova continued to struggle to find their rhythm on offense as the Friars put constant pressure on their shooters all night. Lead by Kyron Cartwright ’18 and Alpha Diallo ’20, PC pushed ahead to a 67-58 lead with about four minutes left to go.
Cartwright led the Friars with 17 points while Diallo and Bullock both scored 14. Jalen Lindsey ’18 also chipped in with three 3-pointers and playing stout defense.
Villanova did not go down quietly, however, as Collin Gillespie hit a layup with 29 seconds left to make the score 72-69, but it was too late for a comeback. The Wildcats were forced to foul and the Friars hit their free throws down the stretch to seal the unlikely win.
The Friars’ performance on the court that day prompted a court storming by the student section to celebrate the upset victory over a rival. The Friar community united to yell and scream the entire game.
Many coaches in the Big East despise coming to the Dunk, as it has been shown that the Dunkin’ Donuts Center is where ranked teams come to die. Friar fans welcomed Coach Wright with open arms and made sure to make it as difficult as possible for his Wildcat team to feel comfortable.
In a college basketball season full of upsets, PC was fortunate enough to be a part of the history, especially against one of their closest rivals.
The scene of students swarming the court only added to the tradition and the pageantry of PC basketball. From their double overtime upset bid over No. 1 Michigan in 1976 to their magical run in 1987, the Friars’ program looks to add more hardware and banners in the rafters in the near future.
A Year in PC Sports: Men’s Basketball Recruiting Class
by The Cowl Editor on May 3, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
The best Providence College sports moment of the year was earlier in the basketball season, when the announcement of the Providence College Men’s Basketball Team signing two ESPN Top 100 High School players: Massachusetts native A.J. Reeves and Rhode Island native David Duke.
With many of the starters of this season including Kyron Cartwright ’18 and Rodney Bullock ’18 graduating, PC students needed a silver lining for next season; luckily, that miracle came in October off the court. Point guard David Duke from Cushing Academy, ranked 46th on ESPN Top 100, declined offers from University of Florida, University of Kansas, Syracuse University, University of Rhode Island, and University of Connecticut to stay in his home state and join Ed Cooley to become a Friar. Duke grew up in Providence and his parents still live in the Elmhusrt neighborhood. Duke is the highest ranked player to commit to PC since Rickey Ledo came to campus in 2012.
He will be joined by shooting guard A.J. Reeves from Brimmer & May High School, who signed in June of last summer, after declining offers from University of Louisville, Villanova University, and the University of Virginia. Reeves, who is six foot six inches, was named the Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year during his senior season, where he averaged 27.1 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game.
According to rivals.com, which ranks the recruiting classes for each team, Providence has the 22nd best class in Division I. Both Duke and Reeves are considered to be four-star recruits according to Rivals and ESPN. With the signing of these two, alongside the signing of power forwards Kris Monroe and Jimmy Nichols Jr. PC turned into one of hottest schools to sign with in the Big East.
Aside from making PC one of the stronger schools in the Big East, Reeves and Duke’s attendance at PC maintains the winning culture and mindset Head Coach Ed Cooley brings each season for the school. Both athletes attended this year’s Iverson Classic, hosted by NBA Hall-of-Famer Allen Iverson, and have been in the gym together working on one goal, bringing the March Madness championship to Providence.
Their chemistry will be pivotal this upcoming season to help develop a rhythm to mix together with our current players to find the strengths of any team that stands in front of the Friars. Reeves and Duke are the spark of light this school needs to be taken seriously as contenders for March Madness. Their addition to the team will attract upcoming future Friar recruits who are looking to come here and be a part of the Friar Family and culture.
List of the 57th Annual All-Sports Gala Award Winners
by The Cowl Editor on May 3, 2018
Friar Sports
Providence College honored its top student-athletes at the 57th Annual All-Sports Gala on Monday, April 30. The athletic department gave out awards such as male and female athletes of the year, among other awards. Here are some of the winners:
Male Athlete of the Year (Team Sport):
Kyron Cartwright ’18 – Men’s Basketball
Female Athlete of the Year (Team Sport):
Megan Hamilton ’18 – Field Hockey
Male Athlete of the Year (Individual Sports):
Ryan Trammell ’19 – Men’s Swimming
Female Athlete of the Year (Individual Sports):
Millie Paladino ’19 – Women’s Track
Mal Brown Award:
Brian Pinho ’18 – Men’s Hockey
(This award is given to the male athlete whose career demonstrated sportsmanship, courage, and honor.)
Paul Connolly Award:
Catarina Rocha ’17 GS – Women’s Track
(This award is given to the female athlete whose career demonstrated sportsmanship, courage, and honor.)
Sine Qua Non Awards:
Mark Jecewiz ’17 GS – Men’s Soccer
Katherine Fallon ’18 – Women’s Swimming
(This award is given to a male and a female athlete who have distinguished themselves among their teammates and have not received proper recognition.)
Jane Thompson Award:
Alana Serviss ’18 – Women’s Hockey
(This award is given to a male or female senior student-athlete who personifies all that is good about being a student-athlete at Providence College and shows selflessness, dedication, loyalty, courage and perseverance.)
Rev. Robert A. Morris, O.P. ‘46 Memorial Award:
Colin Miller ’18 RS – Men’s Soccer
(This award is given to a male or female athlete who had a profound impact on Providence College during their career.)
In addition to these awards, 93 Providence College athletes were awarded their varsity letters.
Battle of the Clubs
by The Cowl Editor on April 26, 2018
Friar Sports
BOP Takes This Year’s Annual Softball Game Against Friars Club
By Jessica Looney ’20
Sports Staff
On Sunday, April 22, the Providence College Board of Programmers (BOP) went head to head with our favorite tour guides, also known as Friars Club, in the most obvious way to show who’s best: a game of softball. BOP ultimately pulled out the win, with a final score of 17 to 15.
The MVP of the game was BOP’s Kenji Fujita ’18, who took softball to a whole new level, dominating the field and at bat. With BOP’s Sean Sweeney ’18 pitching for his team, home runs were inevitable. A few anonymous Friars Club members were slightly skeptical of BOP’s batting tactics, but that is to be debated elsewhere. Chris Froio ’19 also contributed a great homerun for BOP.
BOP recently accepted several new members to their squad, Sydney MacKillop ’20 being one of them. MacKillop says the game “was a great experience as a new member,” and really got everyone together as a club.
Another one of BOP’s newest members, Corrie Traverse ’20, also killed the game, pulling her high school softball skills out of nowhere. Traverse said, “We worked super hard the week before so it payed off and Kenji really stepped up as a coach.” Olisa “Simba” Obioha ’20, said it was “a hard fought game, and Friars Club showed lots of effort, but BOP came out on top.” He boldly added, “the trophy’s back where it belongs.”
Despite the loss, Friars Club had a lot to say. The game was close, and there were some really great plays throughout the whole game. With a phenomenal pitcher, John Birle ’19, and a great catcher in Maggie Zied ’19, Ryan “Fridge” O’Malley ’19, Andrew Widmer ’18, Jake Bamford ’20, Yucca Reinecke ’18 and Geoff Hite II ’18 all pulled out home runs, sending the softballs over the fence. It was absolutely an “all around great game,” says Hite.
A Friars Club win looked promising for most of the game, until BOP pulled ahead in the top of the sixth inning. Friars Club member Jamie Rush ’20 walked away from the game admitting that the loss was not too upsetting. Rather, the softball game “was just an awesome way to get two groups on campus together.” Jack de Poortere ‘20, another Friars Club member, stated, “Regardless of the loss, our sideline definitely had more fun” and advised BOP to “make sure they clean the trophy before the give it back to us next year.”
“The Friars vs. BOP game has become a tradition” says Christian Maloney ’20. “I’m already counting down the days until the next one… 363 days to go,” he added eagerly. Stay tuned for next year, to see who will come out on top.
Women’s Tennis Senior Game
by The Cowl Editor on April 19, 2018
Friar Sports
By Eileen Flynn ’20
Sports Staff
The Providence College Women’s Tennis Team wrapped up their regular season play this past Thursday, April 12, on their home court. After a season full of indoor matches, the brisk air was welcomed by the players and brought a surge of energy to the team.
The team hosted Quinnipiac University for their Senior Day match, honoring the one senior, Katie Marvin ’18, for PC. Over 80 people gathered to watch Marvin’s last match on Providence College’s campus. Each fan was given a pink Friar’s Tennis T-Shirt to wear in the crowd. The cheers from the sea of pink right next to the courts added to the competitive atmosphere that afternoon.
Although Quinnipiac started strong, sweeping all three doubles matches, the Friars made sure to give their fans something to cheer about. Marvin won her singles match 6-4,6-2 and teammate Aidan Epstein ’20 won her match 6-2, 7-5. With both of these personal victories, Epstein was quick to name this game her favorite match of the season.
Epstein stated how Marvin’s energy and bright personality will be missed next year, “She always knows how to make a serious situation fun.” Epstein expressed how proud she was of Marvin to stick with tennis for all four years of college, unlike a few players that started out with her.
“Katie and I play next to each other and are there to cheer each other on throughout our matches.” This bond does not just exist on the court; Epstein explains how Marvin plays an important role in her pre-game ritual as well. “Me and Katie go get LaSalle before every home game and then join our team in the training room to mentally and physically prepare ourselves for the match.”
Marvin, Epstein, and the rest of the Friars have had to fight through a tough schedule this spring. PC beat Sacred Heart University 5-2 earlier in the season, but fell to tough opponents such as Harvard University, Marist College, Brown University, Villanova University, and St. John’s University. The competition, however, has only helped prepare the team for their upcoming Big East Tournament in Cayce, South Carolina that starts on April 25.
Epstein and the rest of the Friars are patiently waiting for the draw to come out later this week and to find out who they will play.
“I am excited to go and to see all the Big East teams in one place” Epstein states.
The tournament is set up differently this year. There is no cancellation draw and, therefore, is single elimination.
When asked what her team is doing to prepare for this tournament, Epstein explains that three players have recently been fighting the flu however, they are working hard and playing as much tennis as they can.
Dance Team Ends Year With Success
by The Cowl Editor on April 19, 2018
Friar Sports
By Sullivan Burgess ’20
Sports Staff
From April 5 to 7, the Providence College Dance Team made their way down to Daytona Beach, Florida to compete in their second appearance at the 2018 NDA National Championship.
Last year, the Friars made their debut at the 2017 NDA National Championship and outperformed expectations by placing seventh in the country in the jazz category. It was safe to say that the bar was set for this year, and the only way to succeed was to work twice as hard and completely outperform once again.
This was exactly the mindset that coach Claire Creighton had going into Nationals. Creighton, in her third year coaching the team, looked to find a way to exceed the already high expectations for her team. Competing once again in the jazz category and for the first time in the hip-hop portion of the competition, the Friars had to put together two intense, two-minute dances for the events.
After performing for the student body at the Nationals Send-Off in Alumni Hall, the team was ready for whatever Daytona had to offer them. For captain Katie Printer ’18 and co-captain Daniela Roberto ’18, this Nationals was bittersweet. They were both proud of the process they used to get themselves to Nationals, yet sad knowing this would be their last season as dancers for the school.
Knowing this was the last time they would be dancing motivated not only them, but motivated both the captains and their teammates. Despite having the job of pushing the team to their highest potential, the captains made sure to take time to appreciate what they were a part of.
This year’s motto for Nationals was “The work is worth it,” and that is definitely what the Friars used to conquer all that had stepped in their way of achieving their goal of advancing. For the jazz portion of the event, the Friars missed their advancement by just .18 points of qualification. They seemed, however, to find their rhythm in hip-hop.
In the final round of Hip-Hop, the Friars gave it all they had and did not look back. Their performance earned them fifth in the country behind Webster State University, Stephen F. Austin University, Boston University, and Sacred Heart University.
Coach Creighton was more than proud of how the team performed, especially in a new category, at their second time at this competition. Creighton stated, “This not only exceeds our expectations from all the long and dedicated practices each dancer went through, it also makes a name for ourselves to show future dancers that Providence is dedicated to making the most out of the dance team in order to make it the best.”
This team is shaping up to be one of the most elite collegiate dance teams, for in their second time National Championship, they moved on to the finals.
When asked what the next step to improving the already successful team was, Creighton’s response was simply, “Bigger and better.”
Her goals are to make the program much larger, as well as making this passion and strength long-term, as they now prepare for their third Nationals appearance next year.
For the incoming dancers who will soon try out, Printer and Roberto offered strong words of encouragement to future classes. Both stated how all dancers have nothing to lose in trying out, and how being on the team is equivalent to a family, providing constant memories of great practices and fun times all around.
Ray Treacy Track Sees First Meet of the Season
by The Cowl Editor on April 19, 2018
Friar Sports
By Jack Belanger ’21
Sports Co-Editor
Providence College held its only home track and field meet of the year as the Ray Treacy Track hosted the first day of the Ocean State Invitational. Fourteen teams came to Providence for the invitational. The first day included events such as the 800-meter, the mile, the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and the 5,000-meters. Brown University hosted day two of the invitational where most of the events were held, including all of the field events.
The Friars had plenty of notable performances on both the men’s and women’s teams. Some of the Friars’ best performances occurred the first day on campus. In the men’s 5,000-meters, PC had two members finish in the top 10, as Marcus Karamanolis ’19 placed third and David Rosas ’21 finished seventh.
In the 3,000-meter steeplechase, Ocean State Athletic Club’s and former Friar Jordan Mann ‘16G, who was an All-American in the event in 2016, came in first and set a facility record with 8:48.27. Liam Harris ’20 was able to grab second place in the event at 9:10.87. On the women’s side of the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Columbia University’s 2017 All-American Nell Crosby took first place in an event that only featured four runners.
PC had the most success on the first day in the women’s mile run. A trio of Friars consisting of Millie Paladino ’19, Catarina Rocha ’18G, and Abbey Wheeler ’20 were able to place in the top ten. Paladino took first place while Rocha, who won the Big East cross-country title in the fall, finished fourth and Wheeler finished eighth. Paladino and Rocha both broke the current facility record of 4:50.74, and Paladino set the new record with 4:40.07. On the men’s side Nick Carleo ’19 missed first place by less than two seconds to take second place and Mike O’Leary ’19 finished fifth.
On the second day at Brown, Jared Grossi ’20 finished fourth in the men’s 400-meter run, finishing at 50.86, which was six-tenths of a second slower than first place finisher David Cusack of University of Massachusetts at Lowell. Sprinter Daniel Rooney ’21 ran a close race in the 400-meter hurdles against Brown’s Bretram Rogers but ultimately finished second in the event, coming in .28 seconds behind.
While PC did not have many athletes compete in field events, Chris Shanahan ’21 finished fifth in the javelin throw out of 11 competitors.
The PC track and field teams will head to Worcester this Saturday for the Holy Cross Invitational and then will have a dual meet vs. Brown on College Hill. Next week, the team will head to Philadelphia for three days before going back to Brown for the Brown Invitational.
PC’s Jessica Looney’20 Looks to Compete in the Boston Marathon
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Friar Sports
By Meaghan Cahill ’20
Sports Co-Editor
After a mere 26.2 miles, Jessica Looney ’20 will become the youngest member of the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team to complete the world famous Boston Marathon.
Running for both of her grandfathers, who each passed away from cancer, Looney decided to apply for the Dana-Farber team because it was “a good charity to give back to.” The team consists of a little over 500 people, and this year 50-75 new applicants were accepted.
The application process was very extensive, and once she made the team, Looney was faced with the challenge of having to raise the required amount of money to be on the team.
“There is the expectation to raise $10,000,” Looney said, which is double the required amount of raised donations. With that $10,000 price in mind, Looney decided to set the goal of reaching the minimum $5,000 before Christmas.
“Anything after that is a bonus,” she said. Her goal was met and to date, Looney has raised well over $8,000.
“I am so happy to be raising…much more [than the required $5,000].” Looney relentlessly pursued fundraising opportunities, choosing to send fliers to neighbors, family friends, etc. However, the main source of her fundraising came from the blog that she decided to create to put her marathon experience into words.
The blog, entitled “Why I Run,” is a way for Looney to publicly reach out to as many people as she can to receive donations, but also to memorialize her “milestone moments” in word form and track her progress and training experience, which officially began Jan. 1 of this year.
When asked why she decided to start training for the Boston Marathon, Looney admitted that it was “always something I wanted to do and the [Providence] half marathon really pushed me to want to go to that next step.” Looney then continued to say, “It had been on my mind since I got to college.”
Come the start of the new year, Looney wasted no time getting into her training, setting apart long distance days and short distance days. Her runs range from 10 to 18 miles.
Her longest run to date was when she completed the first 22 miles of the Boston Marathon, stopping just after grinding up Heartbreak Hill, which Looney boldly claims is “not as hard as everyone makes it out to be.”
“Your body is moving and you aren’t even thinking about it after a while,” Looney commented on the long distance of the course and the amount of time it takes to finish it. “Plus, after a while everything just goes numb,” she jokingly added.
With no prior running training, Looney turned to Andrew “Drew” Harrod ’19 for tips and assistance in how to prepare.
“He’s really helped a lot,” Looney said of her running companion, who is not running the Boston Marathon, but is planning on competing in the Providence Marathon.
Being a “student in training,” Looney does admit to missing out on a lot of things such as “going out on the weekends with my friends,” but she does not regret her choice to run the marathon.
“I’m probably gonna cry when I finish,” she admitted.
Turning more towards the actual race, Looney claims she is “feeling pretty confident” and that she has “no need to prepare any more [then she already has].”
“It’s been in my mind for six months and I can’t believe that it’s finally here,” she stated. And if there is one thing that she definitely wants to highlight about the past six months, and the biggest race of her life, it’s that to Looney, “It is all about the experience, the experience is the most important part,” and that she will “be happy to finish no matter what [time she gets].”
In terms of her final time, Looney admitted, “I’d be excited to break four hours.”
Having run every day since sophomore year of high school, Looney believes she is “not going to know what to do with herself” once she finishes the Boston Marathon.
“I am going abroad next spring and I would like to run some half marathons in different countries,” she admitted. Due to her being away next time the Boston Marathon comes around, Looney will be unable to run it, but she is determined she will “definitely run it again,” in the future.
Donations are still being accepted for the Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge Team. Those who wish to donate can go to Looney’s personal blog why-irun.com to make a donation.
Softball Plays Tough Against the Pirates
by The Cowl Editor on April 12, 2018
Friar Sports
Two Friars Make Big East Honor Roll
By Thomas Zinzarella ’21
Sports Staff
This past week, while most of the student body was focused on the Masters Tournament, the Friars were taking the field for their series matchup with the Seton Hall University Pirates.
The Friars started their weekend series with a doubleheader on Friday, where they split both games with Seton Hall. The Friars took the first game 8-6, but the Pirates roared back to win the second with a score of 7-6. The Pirates would win the series with a 3-2 walk-off victory on Saturday.
In game one, the Friars offense was led by Julianne Rurka ’18, who was most recently named to the Big East Honor Roll for the week of March 25. During that week, she hit .250 while driving in four runs. In Friday’s victory, Rurka recorded a 3-3 day while scoring twice. Rurka, who has caught fire at the plate recently, was named All-Big East Second Team last year ranking fourth in the Big East in average (.388) and RBI (21) during conference play.
On the mound, the Friars received a solid outing from Christina Ramirez ’18. Ramirez, who has strung together a collection of strong performances, earned a spot on the Big East Honor Roll for the week of April second. Ramirez threw six and one-third innings, only allowing one earned run in a win on the road versus Creighton.
Against Seton Hall, Ramirez earned her fourth win of the year, throwing a complete game while allowing eight hits and striking out four. Ramirez is having her most dominant season to this point. She has a career-low ERA of 3.25 in 69 innings while also tallying six complete games and one shutout so far in the 2018 campaign. She is currently ranked ninth in the Big East in ERA.
Game two featured Miranda Trinidad ’20 on the mound. Trinidad was also named to the Big East Honor Roll during the week of March 25 for her dominant pitching performance against Georgetown University. Trinidad threw 11 innings and held a 1.27 ERA while only allowing six hits and two runs during the series. The sophomore threw a complete game against the Hoyas on March 24, only allowing one earned run on three hits. Trinidad owns the team’s lowest earned run average with a 3.07 ERA in 59 1/3 innings pitched while throwing six complete games and is currently eighth in the Big East in ERA.
The Friars offense had contributions from multiple players with Emma Lee ’19 going 3-4 with three runs, and Brittney Veler ’18 adding two hits while driving in a run and scoring. The Friars came up just short after taking the lead in the top of the seventh. The Pirates walked it off in the 7-6 victory in the bottom ladder of the seventh.
In the final game of the three-game series, Megan McCune ‘19 took the rubber. McCune was able to keep the Pirate hitters off balance by throwing five innings while only allowing two runs on four hits. Seton Hall scored two in the bottom half of the fifth but the Friars answered right back with Mackensie Compton ’20 hitting a two-run home run. The Pirates were able to squeeze by again with a walk-off single in the 3-2 victory for the Pirates.
The Friars finished the series with a 4-4 record in Big East Conference play and 7-21 in total. The Friars look to bounce back against Villanova University at home on Friday, April 13.