Coming into the series on a four-game losing streak, the Stony Brook softball team will hope to spark a quick turnaround against a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) opponent.
The Seawolves (13-13, 3-6 CAA) will be back home at University Field this weekend for a three-game set against the Towson Tigers (13-18, 4-5 CAA). The series will commence on Friday and wrap up with games on Saturday and Sunday with first pitch set for 1 p.m. throughout.
The main culprit in Stony Brook’s up-and-down start has been its inconsistent pitching. The Seawolves sport the fourth-worst team earned run average (ERA) in the CAA (4.18) this season and they have allowed the third-most home runs (21). Their staff is comprised of starting pitchers Mia Haynes, Gabrielle Maday and Ashton Melaas.
Haynes has been Stony Brook’s ace, as the right-hander’s 11 starts lead the team and are tied for the seventh most in the CAA. Despite earning head coach Megan Bryant’s trust last season, she has produced a lackluster 4.27 ERA. Opponents have hit .285 off Haynes and she has pitched to the tune of 1.52 walks and hits per inning pitched (WHIP). However, her strikeout numbers have improved this year, as Haynes’ 45 are tied for 10th in the conference.
As the Seawolves’ number two starter, Maday’s season has been similar to Haynes’. Her 10 starts sit just behind Haynes for the team lead and though the southpaw’s 1.43 WHIP is the lowest on the team, Maday’s 4.48 ERA is the highest. She has allowed a .289 batting average against but has walked just 13 hitters. Both Haynes and Maday have pitched three complete games and one shutout apiece.
Despite receiving just five starts this season, Melaas has outperformed both of the starters ahead of her in the rotation. She has appeared in 17 games and pitched to a team-leading 3.67 ERA, while recording two saves — the second most in the CAA. Melaas has also earned a shutout while going the distance in two of her five starts. However, Melaas does have some alarming metrics, as her .309 batting average against and 1.74 WHIP are the worst of the three.
Stony Brook’s pitchers will have to deal with a middle-of-the-road Towson offense. The Tigers have scored the third-fewest runs (85) in the CAA and have posted the sixth-best batting average (.256). Though its .366 slugging percentage is the fourth best in the conference, the team’s .329 on-base percentage is the fifth-worst and it has struck out the second-most times (163).
Towson’s best offensive player is second baseman Cori Jones, who possesses the third-best batting average (.392) and fifth-best on-base plus slugging (OPS) in the CAA (1.051). Jones has hit just two homers this season, but her two triples and seven doubles are tied for the fourth and fifth most in the conference, respectively. Jones’ 16 runs batted in (RBI) are tied for the TIgers’ team lead.
Along with Jones, right fielder Cara Bohner has been deadly in the cleanup spot. She is batting .315 this season and has produced a .907 OPS. Bohner has also racked up 16 RBIs and seven doubles. She has notched three home runs this season — the second most on Towson — but has struck out 25 times, which is the third most in the CAA.
As the Tigers’ leadoff hitter, shortstop Mackenzie Lake has been fantastic. She has batted .316 and leads the squad with 14 runs scored. Additionally, Lake owns an .829 OPS and has also hammered seven doubles, two triples and a home run to go with eight RBIs. She has stolen five bases as well.
In regards to power, third baseman Ally Hickman has displayed some pop this year. Her five home runs lead Towson and are tied for the second most in the CAA. She has also driven in 10 runs and owns a .440 slugging percentage. However, she has produced a measly .284 on-base percentage.
Towson designated player Sydni Byers has been solid, batting .271 with a .340 on-base percentage. In just 19 games, catcher Grace Francyzk has slashed .311 and accumulated a .945 OPS with two doubles, a homer and five RBIs.
Run prevention has been the Tigers’ biggest strength as their pitching unit has pitched to the fourth-lowest ERA (3.44) in the conference. Towson’s pitching staff has also allowed just nine home runs and racked up 122 total punch outs.
Starting pitcher Maddie Gardner has cemented herself at the front of the Tigers’ rotation. She has pitched to the tune of a 2.70 ERA, held her opposition to a .249 batting average and racked up 47 strikeouts, which are all the eighth-best figures in the CAA. Through 59 ⅔ innings pitched, Gardner has limited the damage to three home runs against and her 1.34 WHIP leads the team.
Though Gardner has been Towson’s best pitcher, starting pitcher Erin Brown has gotten the third-most starts (12) in the CAA and the most on the team. She has pitched to a solid 3.60 ERA and has recorded a 1.56 WHIP. She has limited her opponents to a .275 batting average, which is the second lowest on her team.
As both a starter and a reliever, pitcher Amanda Medina has thrived. Despite allowing a .314 batting average and having a 1.63 WHIP, she owns a stellar 2.77 ERA through 14 appearances, seven of which were starts. Two-way player Faith McCullough has dominated out of the bullpen, as she sports a 2.33 ERA across 12 outings and earned a CAA Co-Rookie of the Week nod last week.
The Tigers will face a Seawolves offense that has no shortage of power. Stony Brook ranks second in the conference in slugging percentage (.369) and third in home runs (15). However, its .333 on-base percentage and .249 team batting average rank sixth and seventh in the CAA, respectively.
Left fielder Catherine Anne Kupinski has far and away been the Seawolves’ best hitter this year. The senior’s .649 slugging percentage is the second-best mark in the CAA and her 1.061 OPS is the fourth best. Kupinski is also tied for second in the conference with five homers and her two triples are tied for third. She has knocked in a team-leading 18 runs, while also hitting at a .351 clip this season and scoring 20 runs of her own, which both sit ninth in the CAA.
In the two hole, shortstop Kyra McFarland has been a hit machine, as she leads Stony Brook with 30. Her team-leading .357 batting average is the seventh-best figure in the CAA, she has swiped four bags and scored 13 runs. Though power is not her strong suit, McFarland has notched a double and legged out a triple this season, while also driving in seven runs.
Right fielder Alyssa Costello has not produced up to her usual standards, but she has still been dangerous at the plate. Costello has recorded a .274/.365/.384 slash line with four doubles, two triples and 10 RBIs. She is 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts as well.
Center fielder Alicia Orosco has struggled a bit in the leadoff spot this season. She has hit just .240, but has walked a team-leading 12 times for a .345 on-base percentage to keep her role as the team’s primary table setter secure. Orosco has stolen four bases and scored 11 runs, while also hitting a homer and picking up six RBIs. She has shown signs of getting out of her funk, as she went 4-for-10 against Delaware last weekend.
Designated player Julianna Sanzone and second baseman Naiah Ackerman have been key run producers. Sanzone is batting just .217 but has hit three doubles, three homers, collected 14 RBIs and walked 12 times. Ackerman is batting .246 with four doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs.
Behind the plate, catchers Emily Reinstein and Corinne Badger have been solid. Reinstein is batting .257 with three doubles, a home run and eight RBIs.
Badger — who has mostly played first base — missed six games and eight starts this season due to a hamstring injury, but her power numbers have remained steady. Despite her abysmal .152 batting average, she has produced an .801 OPS and .457 slugging percentage. Her four bombs are tied for the fourth most in the CAA and she has also racked up 12 RBIs. Badger has also tripled, walked 10 times and her four hit-by-pitches are the fourth most in the conference.
Defensively, both teams have struggled. The Seawolves’ .959 fielding percentage is tied for the sixth lowest in the CAA, while Towson’s .954 is the third lowest. Stony Brook will need that number to improve since its rotation pitches to contact, as its 106 team strikeouts are the third fewest in the conference.
The Seawolves are hoping for a repeat of last year’s meeting against Towson, as they took two out of three games against the Tigers and outscored them 17-12.
