Baseball, man. You think you’ve got it figured out, and then it throws you a 10th-inning wild pitch to decide a game.
Saint Joseph’s let a five-run lead slip away, clawed back in the ninth, and then walked it off in the 10th on a pitch that sailed to the backstop, sending Tim Dickinson racing home for a dramatic 10-9 win over Seton Hall on Friday at Smithson Field.
The Hawks (4-8) seemed in control early, jumping ahead 7-2 behind a three-RBI day from Joey Gale and a two-run single from Alex Kelsey. But Seton Hall (4-8) had other ideas, mounting a furious late-game comeback. A.J. Soldra’s solo homer in the ninth started the rally, and after an error, a hit batter, and a pair of run-scoring doubles—including a go-ahead shot from Frankie Scrivanic—the Pirates suddenly led 9-7.
Saint Joe’s, though, refused to fold. Sam Meyer led off the bottom of the ninth with a single, and after Aidan Duda was hit by a pitch for the second time, Dean Bergmann laced a double down the left-field line to score one. Moments later, Gale lifted a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game at 9-9 and sending it to extras.
In the top of the 10th, the Pirates threatened with two on and one out, but Jaden Ovalles induced a clutch double play to escape trouble. That set up the bottom half, where Dickinson singled, moved up on a passed ball, and after an intentional walk loaded the bases, waited as Seton Hall’s Jordan Marot uncorked a wild pitch—game over.
A five-run lead blown. A two-run deficit erased. A walk-off on a wild pitch. Just another Friday at the ballpark.
Villanova pulled even in the top of the ninth, but South Florida had the final say, plating the winning run in the bottom half to walk off with a 3-2 victory in Friday’s series opener.
Right-hander Bobby Olsen was stellar for the Wildcats, spinning eight strong innings while allowing just two runs on five hits. But after a leadoff triple to open the ninth, Alec Sachais couldn’t escape the jam, as the Bulls pushed across the decisive run to seal the win.
Elsewhere, Penn was trailing Delaware 10-6 before the game was suspended for darkness. It will resume on Saturday.
