Coming off a loss in its midweek tuneup, the Stony Brook softball team got back into the win column with a trio of victories at home.
The Seawolves (16-13, 6-6 CAA) welcomed the Towson Tigers (13-21, 4-8 CAA) to University Field this weekend. After grabbing an 11-3 victory on Friday, Stony Brook relied on its pitching later in the series, winning 4-2 on Saturday and completing the sweep with a 1-0 win on Sunday.
The first game of the three was quiet in the early innings, as Mia Haynes and Towson starting pitcher Maddie Gardner matched zeroes through the first three frames. The Tigers pounced first as third baseman Ally Hickman dunked a single into left to score a pair in the top of the fourth inning.
After Haynes limited the damage to two, her offense broke out in a big way, delivering one of its best innings of the season. Dropping a 10-spot on Gardner, it started off with second baseman Naiah Ackerman slugging a home run down the left field-line to cut the deficit to a single run. Two batters later, third baseman Brooke Dye drew a walk and first baseman Corinne Badger was plunked, landing them both on base. Center fielder Alicia Orosco then singled home the equalizer, scoring Dye. With two still aboard, shortstop Kyra McFarland followed with a single to load the bases ahead of a walk to right fielder Alyssa Costello to put the Seawolves up 3-2.
That would be it for Gardner, as Cheyenne Beayon came on in relief, who had no luck putting out the fire. She handed out a free pass to left fielder Catherine Anne Kupinski before getting designated player Julianna Sanzone to line out. Ackerman then bounced one back to the mound, where Beayon fielded the comebacker and misfired to the plate, allowing two runs to score. Catcher Emily Reinstein added another with a single and a run batted in (RBI) before Dye tucked one into the left field-corner to double home two. Badger capped off the scoring with an RBI single to finish the inning ahead 10-2.
Towson posted a run in the top of the fifth inning, but it proved to be moot as Kupinski drove in McFarland in the bottom of the inning with a sacrifice fly to wrap things up by way of the run-rule.
With Gabrielle Maday and Erin Brown tabbed as the starters on Saturday, both offenses were quiet once again in the second game, scoreless through their first trip through the order. This time it was Stony Brook that broke out first with another crooked number. With runners at the corners, Badger singled to right field to crack the scoreboard. The Tigers came to the doorstop of escaping the inning, getting Orosco to ground out for the second out. After both runners advanced, McFarland chopped one to second base where Cori Jones bobbled it and lost the play, allowing Dye to score from third. Costello finished the scoring by sending a two-run triple into the right center-field gap to extend the Seawolves lead to 4-0.
While the Stony Brook offense was limited to a single inning on Saturday Costello emphasized the importance of smart situational hitting.
“I think that with runners on base it’s really important for me to stick with what I know works for me,” Costello said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “In that situation I am just looking for a pitch I know that I can drive.”
The Tigers reeled one back in the fifth as McFarland sailed a throw to first allowing catcher Addie Ferguson to reach home leading off the frame. After Kellie Zoerb was called on to pinch run for Ferguson, she made her way to third on a groundout and a fielder’s choice. With one away and runners at the corners, Towson shortstop Mackenzie Lake bounced a ball to McFarland who was only able to get one out allowing Zoerb to cross the plate. Maday held the Tigers there, allowing just the lone score until the seventh inning.
While Stony Brook still led 4-1, Towson fought to its final three outs. Ferguson once again reached to lead off the inning with a single before a walk and a fielder’s choice advanced her to third with one out. Lake then brought the Tigers a run closer, pulling a single through the left side to chase Maday. Needing two outs, head coach Megan Bryant brought Ashton Melaas out of the bullpen.
Melaas responded to the assignment with aplomb, retiring both batters she faced to clinch a series victory for the Seawolves.
“Coming out of relief isn’t easy,” Bryant said. “She has been in a lot of big games and she came in and pumped strikes which is exactly what she needed to do in that scenario.”
Bryant turned back to Haynes on Sunday, looking to notch a .500 mark in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play with a victory. After hitting Lake to start the ballgame, Haynes struck out the next three to cap off the first and with some help from a double play in the second, delivered 1-2-3 innings in each of the next two. In the top of fourth inning a single, walk and error loaded the bases with two outs, but Haynes got Ferguson to ground out to evade the threat.
On the other side, Towson starter Faith McCollough matched Haynes pitch for pitch, as the two remained deadlocked at zero into the sixth inning.
In the sixth, the Tigers called on Sydni Byers who walked to lead off the frame. After a lineout and a flyout, Byers then broke for second but was thrown out by Reinstein to end the inning. Stony Brook’s offense then got on the board as consecutive singles by Costello and Kupinski put a pair on base with nobody out. A wild pitch advanced both runners before Sanzone drove a fly ball to right field which proved to be deep enough to score the game’s only run. Haynes retired the side in order in the seventh, striking out Ferguson to wrap up the sweep for the Seawolves.
McFarland led Stony Brook in hits, going 6-for-11 including a double across the weekend while scoring three runs. Costello went 3-for-8 while driving in a team-high three runs and scoring twice. Reinstein chipped in as well as she went 2-for-7 with a double, run score and an RBI. Ackerman slugged the Seawolves’ only longball of the weekend.
In the circle, Haynes did the heavy lifting, going 12 innings giving up just three runs (one earned). Across her two starts, she struck out 16 hitters including a complete game, one-hit and 10 strikeout effort on Sunday. Maday notched 6 ⅓ innings in her start on Saturday and allowed two runs (one earned) in the win. Melaas’ only appearance was her two-out save on Saturday.
The Seawolves will hit the road next weekend as they will take on the Monmouth Hawks in West Long Branch, N.J. The Hawks have gone 13-21 so far this season but have fared better in conference, holding a 6-5 record in CAA play. Monmouth will travel to Easton, Pa. on Wednesday for a midweek tilt with Lafayette, before welcoming Stony Brook. The weekend set will kick off with a double header on Saturday with first pitches at noon and 2 p.m., respectively, before wrapping up with a noon start on Sunday.
