Following up a four-loss invitational last week, the Stony Brook softball team’s early-season struggles continued during a sweep over the weekend.
This past weekend, the Seawolves (1-6) were down in Nashville, Tenn. for the Roar City Invitational at Tiger Field: the home of the Tennessee State Tigers. Initially set for five games, the Invitational was cut short and Stony Brook’s final three contests across Saturday and Sunday were all cancelled due to rain.
On Friday, Stony Brook fought back while playing catch up but came up short in a 9-6 loss to the Mercer Bears (5-3). During the nightcap of the doubleheader, it was run-ruled 8-0 in five innings against the Illinois Fighting Illini (4-5).
After both sides stranded runners in scoring position in the first inning, the Bears scratched across the game’s first run in the top of the second. With two runners on and two outs, center fielder Hallie Langford stole second base and second baseman Hannah Rivers laced an opposite-field single off starting pitcher Gabrielle Maday to drive her in.
Mercer continued to rake in the top of the third inning. With two runners in scoring position and no outs, right fielder KiKi Daniels picked up a pair of runs batted in (RBI) by pulling a double down the left-field line.
With Daniels now standing on third base, catcher Sietske Drijvers grounded out to score her. During the ensuing at-bat, Langford notched the Bears’ third double of the inning, setting the stage for Rivers to score her with another two-out, RBI single to make it 5-0.
To start the fourth inning, pitcher Jordyn Fray came on in relief and delivered a 1-2-3 frame, giving Stony Brook a chance to claw back into the game during the bottom of the inning.
Though starting pitcher Grace Roark struck out right fielder Emma Scheitinger to lead things off, Scheitinger reached first base on a wild pitch and advanced to second on another. Roark’s command issues persisted, as she walked center fielder Alyssa Costello before designated player Mia Vannelli yanked an RBI single down the left-field line.
With runners now on the corners, catcher Emily Reinstein reached base on a fielder’s choice, allowing Costello to cross the plate and cut the Bears’ lead to 5-2.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Mercer shortstop Emma Dorval helped start the Seawolves off, as she committed a throwing error that put left fielder Marissa Thalassinos on first base. Shortstop Kyra McFarland followed with a single up the middle and with one out, Scheitinger reached first on a fielder’s choice that Thalassinos scored on from second.
During the top of the sixth inning, Stony Brook suffered a setback. After getting two quick outs, Fray surrendered a pair of singles and hurled a wild pitch. Though Fray induced a potential inning-ending ground out off Daniels’ bat, McFarland’s throw to first base went awry and both runners scored, extending Mercer’s advantage to 7-3.
Relief pitcher Crimson Rice got the Seawolves out of trouble, giving them a chance to respond in the bottom of the sixth. Though Roark got two big outs after an error and walk to put two runners on, Thalassinos picked up an infield hit to drive in a run and keep the inning going.
Immediately after, McFarland knocked a two-RBI double into right-center field to make it a 7-6 ball game.
Nonetheless, the Bears took the momentum back in the top of the seventh inning. Rice gave up a walk, single and hit-by-pitch to load the bases and with two outs, third baseman Tori Hedgecock took a pitch the other way, plating two runs with a double.
Despite some life in the bottom of the seventh, Roark stranded two baserunners to hand the Seawolves a 9-6 loss.
In the circle, Maday struggled once again, striking out one hitter while surrendering five runs and 11 hits across three innings.
In relief, Fray allowed two unearned runs, four hits, a walk and wild pitch while punching out one Bear in 2 ⅔ innings. Over 1 ⅓ innings, Rice coughed up two runs on two hits and a walk.
Unlike game one, Friday night’s affair with Illinois was a mess for Stony Brook from the jump.
After starting her day with a quick out, the wheels quickly fell off for starting pitcher Maddie Male in the bottom of the first inning. The southpaw issued two walks and served up a single to fill the bases before Scheitinger committed an error on a fly ball off designated player Ella Cushing’s bat, allowing a run to score.
Immediately after, second baseman Keirys Click kept the line moving by notching an RBI single. Following her, third baseman Adisyn Caryl delivered a double into left-center field to bring two more runs home and make it 4-0.
With two runners in scoring position, left fielder Stevie Meade continued the first-inning hit parade, hammering a two-RBI double down the left-field line. A fielding error by McFarland helped keep Mercer at the plate, prompting center fielder Alaina Miller to cap off the seven-run first inning with a sacrifice fly.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, the Fighting Illini put themselves in position for a mercy-rule victory. With two runners on and two out, Click dumped an RBI single into center field off Fray to make it 8-0.
The Seawolves went down in order during the top of the fifth inning, putting the game to bed after just five innings.
“Tough day for us against two very good teams,” head coach Megan Bryant said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “It was disappointing that we didn’t play better. It takes what it takes, and we need to be better in all three parts of our game.”
The Seawolves had nothing doing offensively, as Illinois starting pitcher Lauren Wiles notched a complete-game shutout, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out three batters across her five innings of work.
On the other end, Male surrendered seven runs (six earned), four hits and two walks in her lone inning. Across three innings in relief, Fray pitched to one run, three hits, two walks and a punchout.
Across both games, Vannelli went 2-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. McFarland went 2-for-7 with a double and two RBIs.
Costello had a solid series, going 1-for-3 with a run scored, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and a steal.
Thalassinos went 2-for-5 with an RBI and a pair of runs while Reinstein went 1-for-5 with a double, RBI, run and walk. Scheitinger went hitless across both games but both drove in and scored a run.
Stony Brook will have some time off to get right, as its next appearance is not until Friday, Feb. 28 in Boiling Springs, N.C. — the start of the Spring in the Springs Invitational. The Seawolves will begin their five-game weekend with a 12:30 p.m. bout against the Chattanooga Mocs on that Friday, who are 2-7 to start the season. Later in the day, they will take on the 6-2 Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs at 5:30 p.m. to complete the doubleheader.
