Despite being very close to a disastrous start to Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play, the Stony Brook softball team rode consecutive improbable comebacks to earn a series win.
This weekend, the Seawolves (5-10, 2-1 CAA) were in Maryland for a three-game set with the Towson Tigers (7-12, 1-2 CAA) for their first CAA series of the season. After dropping game one 6-2 on Friday, Stony Brook rallied late in games two and three on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, and came out on top 8-7 in both contests.
To start the series opener, the Seawolves jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With two runners on and two outs, third baseman Madelyn Stepski stepped up to the plate and knocked Towson starting pitcher Amanda Medina’s pitch up the middle for a run-scoring single.
However, Stony Brook’s lead was short lived, as the Tigers took control of the game in the bottom of the first. Following two quick outs, starting pitcher Gabrielle Maday allowed two straight singles to prolong the inning before serving up a three-run home run to third baseman Briyana Wright.
Immediately after, designated player Grace Franczyk went back-to-back with Wright, as she yanked a pitch over the right-field fence for another homer to make it 4-1.
Following a quiet second inning, Towson extended their lead in the bottom of the third. Maday issued a pair of free passes to start the frame before center fielder Isabella Canesi blooped a single just out of a leaping Stepski’s reach to pick up a run batted in (RBI).
During the ensuing at-bat, Towson shortstop Alyssa Myint sent a ground ball toward Stepski but her throw went awry, scoring another Tigers run on the error to make it 6-1 and end Maday’s day.
In the circle, Maday went 2 ⅓ innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks while recording one strikeout.
With a runner on first base and two outs in the top of the fifth inning, the Seawolves received a bit of life, as Canesi dropped a routine flyball off second baseman Naiah Ackerman’s bat to bring in Stony Brook’s second run of the contest.
In relief, pitcher Jordyn Fray gave her team a chance to win, as she racked five punchouts and surrendered two hits and a walk across 3 ⅔ innings. Nonetheless, the Seawolves’ bats were silent throughout the game with runners on base, as they left 11 ducks on the pond en route to a 6-2 loss.
“Not the start we wanted to this series,” head coach Megan Bryant said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “We have a couple good takeaways from the game, however, and will look to build off those and improve in a few areas. Number one is being better with runners on base. We left way too many on today.”
Like Friday’s affair, Stony Brook went ahead early on Saturday. With the bases loaded and one away in the top of the first inning, designated player Mia Vannelli took a pitch from starting pitcher Olivia Trombley and banged it up the middle for a two-RBI single.
After getting down 2-0, the Tigers fought back in the bottom of the second inning. Leading off the frame, Towson catcher Madyson Peters took starting pitcher Crimson Rice deep to right-center field, cutting her team’s deficit in half.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the same inning, Rice struggled with her command — which plagued her throughout the frame — and walked right fielder Jenna Giattino to force in the tying run.
During the following at-bat, first baseman Kristin Toland cashed in a pair of runs, as she stroked a single into left-center field to put Towson ahead 4-2.
Rice completed just 1 ⅔ innings, striking out one batter while allowing four runs on three hits and a walk.
The top of the fourth inning saw the Seawolves play some small ball to scratch a run across. After leading off the stanza by legging out an infield single, right fielder Emma Scheitinger moved over to third base after a sacrifice bunt and ground out before scoring on a wild pitch.
However, the Tigers started to run away with the game in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs and the bases juiced, Fray — who was on in relief for a second straight day — induced a potential inning-ending grounder off Franczyk’s bat, but Stepski booted it and two runs came around to score.
With the inning already extended, Canesi made the Seawolves further pay for the blunder, as she pulled an RBI single down the left-field line to make it 7-3.
Despite all three runs being unearned, Fray did not fare well. The right-hander punched out two Tigers but surrendered four hits and four walks.
Luckily for Stony Brook, the Seawolves’ lineup responded with a big inning of their own in the top of the fifth. Starting off the inning, Towson called reliever Alyssa Bostley out of the bullpen and she was not greeted kindly. With Ackerman standing on first base, center fielder Alyssa Costello banged an opposite-field, RBI double off the right-center field wall.
Three batters later, Scheitinger took advantage with two runners in scoring position, as she drove a run home with a ground out.
Following her up, first baseman Malorie Hill sent a single through the middle of the diamond to keep the line moving and make it a one-run ball game. With Hill representing the tying run at first base, catcher Emily Reinstein evened things up by lacing an RBI double into the right-center field gap.
Stony Brook was not done there, however. During the ensuing at-bat, left fielder Marissa Thalassinos poked a hit through a hole on the left side of the infield that rolled all the way to the warning track, putting the Seawolves ahead 8-7 with their third double of the inning.
Though Stony Brook went down in order during each of the next two innings, Maday slammed the door in relief. The left-hander worked out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Wright to stare at strike three in the bottom of the fifth before stranding the tying run in both the sixth and seventh to lock down the 8-7 win.
Overall, Maday was terrific. She went 3 ⅓ scoreless innings while pitching to three hits, a walk and three strikeouts.
“It was great to see us respond after yesterday and I’m proud of our team. Everyone in the lineup contributed offensively and [Maday] was outstanding in the circle to close it out,” Bryant said. “We fought hard to win this game and that’s important heading into tomorrow.”
Mirroring Saturday’s come-from-behind victory, the Seawolves’ late-game heroics continued, as they erased a big deficit on Sunday.
For a third consecutive game, Stony Brook drew first blood. With two outs in the top of the second inning and Medina in the circle, Scheitinger stole second base, allowing Reinstein to dump an RBI single into center field.
However, it was all Towson from that point on. In the bottom of the second, starting pitcher Maddie Male served up an RBI single to Franczyk before Peters ripped a double into left-center field to put the Tigers ahead 2-1.
In the bottom of the third inning, Franczyk made an impact once again, as she pulled a two-RBI single into right-center field with the bases full.
The two-RBI knock chased Male from the game in favor of Fray, who stopped the bleeding but not before another run scored. In an encore to Franczyk’s at-bat, Peters sent a single into right field to make it 5-1.
Across 2 ⅓ innings, Male coughed up five runs (four earned) on five hits, two walks and two punchouts.
Towson seemingly put the game to bed in the bottom of the fourth inning. With two outs and two runners in scoring position, second baseman Cara Bohner converted both runners with a two-RBI single.
Much like Male, Fray was not at her best on Sunday. The right-hander pitched to two runs, four hits and two strikeouts through 1 ⅓ innings.
However, the Seawolves did not wave the white flag and began to flip the script in the top of the fifth inning. Ackerman led off the frame with a triple and two batters later, Stepski brought her home with a single.
With Stepski now positioned at third base and two outs, Scheitinger cut Stony Brook’s deficit to four runs with a run-scoring triple, making it 7-3.
After a 1-2-3 inning from Maday, who relieved Fray, one swing of the bat brought the Seawolves within two runs. Following a two-out single by shortstop Kyra McFarland to keep the frame alive, Ackerman blasted a two-run homer over the wall in left-center field to make it 7-5.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Maday mowed through the Tigers with ease once again, setting the stage for Stony Brook to push toward a comeback in the top of the seventh.
Towson opted to put the ball in reliever Cadence Williams’ hands to secure the save, but the Seawolves had other ideas. With two on and one out, Thalassinos deposited an RBI single into right-center field to get Stony Brook within a run.
Immediately after, McFarland delivered in another big spot, smacking another run-scoring knock up the middle to knot the game at seven apiece.
After Williams blew the save, Towson turned to Trombley, who got no help from her defense. Upon Trombley entering the game, Ackerman sent a pitch to Wright, who committed an error to load the bases. During the next at-bat, Trombley got Costello swinging for a big second out, but Wright failed to corral a ball off Stepski’s bat for her second error in as many tries, putting the Seawolves ahead 8-7.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Maday recorded her third straight 1-2-3 inning, giving Stony Brook another gutsy, 8-7 victory in the rubber match.
“It was great to see us battle today, work together and take the series. We refused to lose this ball game and that’s key to our continued improvement as a team,” Bryant said. “Everyone wants to win, but digging down and finding a way to win is a separator.”
For a second consecutive game, Maday earned the win in relief and delivered 3 ⅓ scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
At the dish, it was a true team effort for the Seawolves throughout the weekend. Stepski had a nice series, going 5-for-10 with two RBIs, three runs scored, three walks and a steal.
Thalassinos went 4-for-9 with two doubles, two RBIs, two runs, two walks and a steal. Costello went 3-for-10 with a double, two runs, an RBI and three walks.
Unusually, McFarland went hitless over her first eight at-bats of the series but went 2-for-5 with an RBI and run during the rubber game.
Ackerman continued to get back on track, going 3-for-8 with a home run, triple, two RBIs, four runs and six walks. Lower in the order, Reinstein went 2-for-10 with a double, two RBIs and a hit-by-pitch.
Enjoying a breakout series, Scheitinger delivered six hits in 10 at-bats, including a triple, two RBIs, two runs and two steals.
Vannelli recorded just one hit but made it count, as it drove in a pair of runs.
Next up for Stony Brook will be a three-game series with the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens in Newark, Del. next weekend. The Blue Hens are 11-8 overall this season and 3-0 in CAA play following a sweep of Drexel over the weekend. Before its matchup with the Seawolves, Delaware will take on Saint Joseph’s on Wednesday. First pitch for the series is set for Friday at 5 p.m., followed by 3 p.m. and 1 p.m. start times on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
