The Stony Brook softball team was clicking in all aspects of the game as it cruised past a nonconference opponent.
The Seawolves (20-13, 9-6 CAA) battled the Sacred Heart Pioneers (15-19, 9-2 NEC) at University Field on Tuesday. Stony Brook received contributions from up and down its lineup to go along with strong pitching performances en route to an 8-0 victory.
Initially, the two sides were set to play a doubleheader, but it was cut to a single game on Monday.
For the third time in their last four games, the Seawolves drew first blood in the opening inning. Leading off the bottom of the first, center fielder Alicia Orosco dropped a bunt single and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Though Sacred Heart starting pitcher Genevieve Gleason was close to getting out of the frame, catcher Corinne Badger blooped a two-out, run-scoring triple that landed just out of a diving right fielder Morgan Teodosio’s reach.
In the home half of the second inning, Stony Brook tacked on another run. With two away and second baseman Sofia Chambers standing on first base, right fielder Alyssa Costello — who was the team’s designated player on Tuesday — ripped a line drive the other way. The laser was just out of the reach of Sacred Heart left fielder Sydni Carroll to bring Chambers home.
Costello — who was dropped down to the nine hole of the batting order on Tuesday — enjoyed the challenge of coming through from a different spot in the lineup.
“I think it puts me in a different position considering I have the top of the lineup after me and not before me,” Costello said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “I know it’s my job to still get on base because they’re good hitters and they’re going to drive me in.”
In the third inning, the Seawolves began to run away with the game. After left fielder Catherine Anne Kupinski and Badger were both hit by pitches, right fielder Julianna Sanzone picked up a run batted in (RBI) by ripping a double into the left-center field gap to make it 3-0.
During the next at-bat, Gleason sent one to the backstop, which allowed Badger to come across the plate and advanced Sanzone to third base. Second baseman Naiah Ackerman — who played shortstop on Tuesday — then lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to put Stony Brook ahead 5-0.
After busting the contest wide open in the third inning, head coach Megan Bryant opted to pull starting pitcher Gabrielle Maday from the game in favor of reliever Jordyn Fray after three no-hit innings.
Though the Pioneers finally kept the Seawolves off the scoreboard in the fourth, Stony Brook scored three runs in the fifth to walk the game off via the mercy rule.
Sacred Heart relief pitcher Emily Heath recorded two quick outs in the fifth inning, but first baseman Chloe Montalvo drilled a double into right field to extend the frame. After Costello beat out a ground ball to shortstop and stole second base, Orosco laced a two-run single into center field to go up 7-0.
After going 2-for-3 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a hit-by-pitch during the contest, Orosco attributed her recent turnaround to better decision making at the dish and a better mental approach.
“Continuing to know that the pitcher can’t beat me and I can only beat myself, that’s what helps me … during my at-bats,” Orosco said. “I think earlier in the season, I was just swinging too early at pitches, so I’m just working on hitting it late and finishing my swing.”
Immediately after, shortstop Kyra McFarland — who manned third base during the victory — hammered a double off the center-field fence to put the game to bed at 8-0.
Following the offensive outburst, Bryant glowed about her team’s all-around performance at the plate.
“We’re really buying into our offensive identity,” Bryant said. “We can hit for average, we can hit for power, we can drop a bunt, we run the bases well. It was really good … to see production from one through nine.”
In the circle, Maday tossed three scoreless innings without surrendering a hit. Aside from an error in the first inning, her defense was terrific behind her and it needed to be, as Maday recorded just one strikeout.
Out of the bullpen, Fray worked two shutout innings to the tune of two hits and one punchout. Additionally, she earned her first collegiate win, as Maday did not pitch long enough to qualify for the victory.
Along with Orosco, Costello was the Seawolves best offensive performer. She went 3-for-3 with a double, RBI, run scored and a stolen base.
Badger, Sanzone and McFarland also had solid offensive days. Badger went 1-for-2 with a triple, RBI, run scored and a hit-by-pitch, while Sanzone went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored. McFarland — who was named Coastal Athletic Association Player of the Week on Monday — went 1-for-4, but her lone hit was the walk-off RBI double.
Despite being known for her glove, Chambers produced with her bat on Tuesday as well. She went 1-for-2 with a run scored and was hit by a pitch.
Ackerman was hitless in two at-bats, but she picked up an RBI, while Montalvo went 1-for-3 with a double. Kupinski scored a run but had her five-game hitting streak come to a close.
Stony Brook will be right back at University Field tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. when it takes on the St. John’s Red Storm in another nonconference game. The Red Storm are 21-17 overall this season and 10-5 in Big East Conference play.
