Pitcher Dawn Bodrug threw her third career no-hitter, catcher Corinne Badger continued her pursuit of the program single-season home run record with a pair of bombs and right fielder Alyssa Costello added to her scorching freshman campaign as the Stony Brook softball team looked to be the clear-winners of a three-game series against the Maine Black Bears.

However, Sunday’s finale was canceled in the bottom of the fourth inning despite Stony Brook (17-10) leading 5-1 after a bases-clearing triple by first baseman Lindsey Osmer. Rainy weather led officials to call the game, and since the game did not go five innings, it could not count in the record books. The Seawolves officially split the series.

Bodrug’s no-hitter came in a dominant 5-0 win that opened the doubleheader on Saturday, April 2. In the latter half, Maine won 8-7 in extra innings to end a back-and-forth battle.

Bodrug threw her 12th complete game of the season and struck out a season-high 16 batters. It was her fourth complete game shutout of 2022. The last time she fanned 16 in a single start was on March 13, 2021 against Rhode Island.

“Dawn was lights-out in game one,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said in an interview with The Statesman. “She was efficient and had under 100 pitches for the game. It set a great tone.”

Bodrug’s dominance was more than enough to get the Seawolves rolling at the plate. The first trip around the order was quiet, but Stony Brook’s bats woke up in a big way when Costello stepped to the dish in the bottom of the fourth inning. After the table was set with a pair of singles by center fielder Alicia Orosco and shortstop Kyra McFarland, Costello broke the silence by sending a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence. The three-run bomb was her fourth of the season.

It was only a matter of time before Badger launched a home run of her own. After lining out twice in her first two plate appearances, Badger ensured that no one would stand in the way of her third swing when she cracked a two-run shot over the right field wall. Badger’s 12th long ball of 2022 gave the Seawolves a five-run advantage over the Black Bears.

“We swung the bats pretty well with the two long balls,” Bryant said. “It was a clean game and a good way to start America East play.”

At this point, Bodrug had more than enough support to shut down Maine. But a walk to lead off the fifth inning and a questionable hit-by-pitch call to lead off the sixth gave Maine its first base runners of the game.

Facing trouble for the first time, Bodrug dialed in. She struck out the side in the fifth inning and worked around a sacrifice bunt in the sixth to strand all Maine runners on the basepaths.

“Trusting my defense and putting more emphasis on my spin,” Bodrug said when asked about dealing with leadoff baserunners. “Anybody can hit a hard pitch. But if I’m spinning it, it’s going to go to my defense, and they’re going to make that out.”

Bodrug escaped the late innings with no runs and the no-hitter still intact. After fanning her 15th and 16th batters of the game to open the top of the seventh, she secured her third career no-hitter when Osmer fielded a ground ball unassisted for the final out.

“It was honestly just my command, attacking the hitters,” Bodrug said after recording the final out. “It’s just being that confident pitcher in the circle and trusting that everything I have is working for me and that the hitter would have to do something really great to get something off of me.”

Pitcher Shelbi Denman got the start in game two. She struggled early but was able to work out of trouble in the first two innings thanks to Stony Brook’s defense. After Maine left fielder Kya Enos singled up the middle in the first inning, the Seawolves turned a double play to work out of trouble. Costello bailed Denman out of a bases-loaded scenario in the second inning with a leaping grab at the wall.

The Black Bears scored their first runs of the day in the third inning. After a leadoff single by center fielder Brianna Neely, Enos laid down a bunt that advanced Neely to third base with no outs. Inevitably, Maine scored its first two runs via small ball.

Stony Brook answered back in the bottom half of the third when Badger roped a single down the left field line to score Costello for her third RBI of the day.

Though strong at first, Stony Brook’s defense faltered in the fifth inning. Two errors and four Black Bear singles put the Seawolves down by five runs entering the bottom half of the inning.

“I thought we did some good things,” Bryant said. “We certainly swung the bats, but with three parts of the game — pitching, hitting and defensive — you need at least two out of the three.”

Another Badger home run in the bottom of the fifth, this time a three-run shot, put the Seawolves back within striking distance, but they still trailed Maine by three runs entering the bottom of the sixth. With 13, Badger only needs six more homers this year to tie the program record.

In need of some late-game magic, designated player Catherine Anne Kupinski and third baseman Brooke Dye set the table with a single and a double, respectively. With two runners in scoring position and the game on the line, Bryant called on infielder Ashley Jacobson to pinch-hit for left fielder Shauna Nuss.

On a full count, Jacobson launched her first collegiate home run over the center field wall to tie the game at 7-7.

“For Ashley to step in like that, that is not easy to do,” Bodrug said. “One of the hardest things to do is pinch hit and have an outcome like that. Honestly, I had a feeling she was going to do it.”

Bodrug, who was resting throughout game two, was called on to take the circle following Jacobson’s late game heroics.

But after a scoreless seventh inning on both sides, Maine got to Bodrug in extra innings. Catcher Keely Clarke sent a 2-1 pitch over the left field fence in the eighth inning to put an end to Stony Brook’s comeback attempt.

“Both teams fought for that second game, but [Maine] deserved it, frankly,” Bryant said.

The series was supposed to conclude at 11 a.m. on the following morning, but Mother Nature had other plans. Bodrug took the circle in game three and pitched four innings of shutout softball. Stony Brook’s offense looked sharp after putting up a four-spot in a rain-shrouded third inning.

But the game would be canceled an inning later with Stony Brook on top 5-1.

The Seawolves will face St. John’s in a non-conference game on Tuesday, Apr. 5 before hosting Seton Hall in a two-game series on Wednesday.