Against the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) top team, the Stony Brook softball team’s bats went silent en route to being swept in a three-game series for the first time this season.

The Seawolves (5-13, 2-4 CAA) were in Newark, Del. this weekend, as they faced off against the Delaware Blue Hens (15-8, 6-0 CAA) in a three-game set. Stony Brook was bested 5-1 on Friday before dropping Saturday’s contest 9-3. On Sunday, the Seawolves made it a fairer fight but still came up short 2-1.

With one out in the top of the first inning during the series opener, second baseman Naiah Ackerman walked and center fielder Alyssa Costello knocked a single up the middle to create a scoring threat. However, it was halted by Delaware starting pitcher Billie Kerwood, who retired the next two batters in order via strikeout and groundout to get out of the inning unscathed.

Leading off the bottom of the first, Delaware second baseman Katie Scheivert crushed the first pitch she saw from starting pitcher Gabrielle Maday over the left-field fence, giving her team an early 1-0 lead.

After a quiet top of the second inning for Stony Brook, the Blue Hens looked to pounce in the bottom half. Delaware right fielder Morgan Hess led off that inning with a walk and with one out and one on, shortstop Ellie Talley ripped a 2-2 pitch from Maday over the right-center field wall for a two-run homer, extending their lead to 3-0.

Following a walk to Scheivert, Maday was pulled from the game in favor of right-hander Crimson Rice. Two Blue Hens hitters reached base after Rice came into the game, but Rice stranded them to end the inning and keep Stony Brook within striking distance.

Shortstop Kyra McFarland led off the top of the third inning with a walk. After McFarland advanced to second on a wild pitch, Ackerman singled up the middle and advanced to second on the throw, allowing McFarland to cross the plate and cut the deficit to 3-1. Nonetheless, that marked the team’s last hit of the game, as it struggled to generate any more offense.

Designated player Sydney Shaffer doubled to lead off the bottom of the third inning. Now with Shaffer at third and one out, Hess powered a two-run home run to right field, extending Delaware’s lead to 5-1 on the team’s third long ball of the day.

The final four innings of the game were scoreless on both sides, as the Blue Hens held on for the 5-1 win. In the top of the seventh, Kerwood retired Stony Brook in order to earn the one-run, complete-game victory. In the game, she struck out eight Seawolves and surrendered just two hits despite walking five and hitting a batter, earning her eighth win of the season.

In the circle Maday went just 1 ⅓ innings, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks while striking out none.

In relief of Maday, Rice and fellow right-hander Jordyn Fray combined for 4 ⅔ innings pitched, allowing two runs on five hits, one walk and a hit-by-pitch. The duo also failed to record a punchout.

“Tough start to what we knew was going to be a challenging series for our young team,” head coach Megan Bryant said in a postgame interview with Stony Brook Athletics. “We didn’t trade punches with them offensively as we are capable of doing, and that momentum was missing.”

Unlike the opener, Stony Brook scored immediately in the top of the first inning on Saturday. With one out, Ackerman was plunked by Delaware starting pitcher Morgan Hess and Costello doubled to right field, putting two runners in scoring position. Third baseman Madelyn Stepski came up to the plate and followed by picking up a run batted in (RBI) on a groundout to third base, giving the Seawolves a 1-0 lead.

After a quiet bottom of the first and top of the second, Delaware went ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the second frame. With a runner on and two outs, starting pitcher Maddie Male served up a pitch that Talley drove out for her second two-run homer in as many games.

In the top of the third inning, the Seawolves had a chance to tie the game after Ackerman singled to center field with one out and Stepski walked with two away. Stony Brook got the big hit it was looking for, as Rice singled to right field, but Ackerman was gunned down at home on a one-hop throw by Delaware right fielder Ellie Mulligan, keeping the score at 2-1.

Nonetheless, Stony Brook reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Right fielder Emma Scheitinger led off with a bunt single and with two outs, left fielder Marissa Thalassinos drew a walk. McFarland then came up to the plate and cashed both runners in, as she doubled into the left-center field gap to put her team ahead 3-2.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, Male set down the Delaware side in order and was seemingly in cruise control, retiring her seventh consecutive batter.

After Stony Brook was relatively quiet in the top of the fifth inning, the game unraveled in the bottom of the frame, as the Blue Hens exploded for seven runs. With one out and runners on first and second, pinch hitter Kristen Luzon hit a laser shot to right field, putting her team up 5-3 with a three-run blast.

The homer cut Male’s outing short, as she went 4 ⅓ innings and allowed five runs on four hits and one walk while striking out three batters.

Fray came into the game in relief of Male, but she did not fare any better, as she was unable to get out of that inning. After loading the bases with just one out, Fray walked in a run and with two outs, she gave up a backbreaking, bases-clearing double by Delaware catcher Mary Beth Cahalan to put the game out of reach 9-3.

During her time in the circle, Fray recorded just one out and allowed four runs on three hits and a pair of walks. Maday pitched a scoreless 1 ⅓ innings in a mop-up spot.

In the win for the Blue Hens, Kerwood picked up her ninth win of the season in relief, pitching 3 ⅓ shutout innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out four Seawolves.

Looking to salvage the last game of the series, the Seawolves went down early. In the bottom of the first inning, Scheivert led off with a single to right-center field. Now with two out and Scheivert at second, first baseman Gianna Costaro hit a run-scoring single to left field, giving the Blue Hens an early 1-0 lead.

Delaware eventually loaded the bases, but Rice was able to escape the inning after Talley grounded a ball to McFarland at shortstop, who went the short way and forced Cahalan out at second.

To lead off the top of the second inning, Stepski banged a booming hit off the center-field wall and slid head first into third base with a triple. With one out, Scheitinger sent a ground ball to second base that Scheivert went home with, but Stepski evaded the tag to tie the game at 1-1.

In the top of the third inning, Stony Brook suffered from a major missed opportunity. After issuing a walk to Thalassinos and allowing a bunt single to McFarland to start the frame, Delaware starting pitcher Josie Crossman was yanked for Kerwood. Upon entering the game, Kerwood walked Ackerman, loading the bases with no outs.

With a chance to take over, Costello entered the batter’s box, but hit a grounder to Scheivert, who threw it home to force out Thalassinos at the plate and keep the score knotted up. Though Stepski and Rice both had an opportunity to capitalize, Kerwood got both swinging to shimmy out of the jam.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, the deadlock was finally broken. Shaffer led off with a double down the left-field line, prompting utility player Graceyn Frost to be brought into the game as pinch runner and for Bryant to turn to Maday in relief. With one out and Frost now at second, Hess knocked a single up the middle that went just out of the reach of a diving Ackerman to give the Blue Hens a 2-1 lead.

Stony Brook attempted to mount a comeback in the top of the top of the seventh inning, as while down to its last out, McFarland and Ackerman hit back-to-back singles to put the tying and leading runs on base for the Seawolves. Costello represented their last hope, but Kerwood stymied her again, getting her to whiff at strike three to secure the 2-1 win and series sweep for the Blue Hens.

Kerwood was dominant once again, as she racked up 11 punchouts and hurled five scoreless innings in relief of Crossman, surrendering just four hits and a walk.

Despite the loss, Stony Brook’s pitching performed well. Rice produced the best start of her young collegiate career, as she gave up two runs, four hits and two walks across five innings. In her lone inning of relief, Maday struck out one Blue Hen but allowed a hit that scored an inherited runner.

Offensively, it was a slog for the Seawolves throughout the weekend. McFarland went 3-for-11 at the dish with a double, two RBIs, run scored and a walk. Ackerman picked up three hits in seven at-bats with an RBI, a run, four walks and a hit-by-pitch.

Costello failed to get the big hit on Sunday in two tries but went 3-for-10 with a double and a walk over the three games. Stepski picked up an RBI, scored a run and walked, but her triple represented her lone hit in nine at-bats. Scheitinger went 2-for-8 with an RBI, a run and a walk.

Coming up for Stony Brook is a midweek, non-conference affair with the Seton Hall Pirates at University Field on Tuesday at 2 p.m. The contest will mark the start of a busy week for the Seawolves, as it will kick off a five-game homestand that culminates on Sunday. The Pirates are 12-10 overall this season and 5-1 in Big East play. They are coming into the matchup having won a three-game series against DePaul over the weekend. The next day, the Seawolves will then take on the Iona Gaels, who are 4-10 thus far. The Gaels had the weekend off but dropped their last contest 6-1 to St. John’s and will play a doubleheader with Maine on Tuesday before heading to Long Island. First pitch is also scheduled for 2 p.m. on Wednesday.