Behind an explosive offense and improved pitching, the Stony Brook baseball team got its first series win in nearly a month.
In their third Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series of the year, the Seawolves (14-15, 3-6 CAA) took on the North Carolina A&T (N.C. A&T) Aggies (9-20, 5-4 CAA) at World War Memorial Stadium. After a disastrous start to the weekend ended in a back-and-forth 11-9 loss, the Stony Brook bats stayed hot while the pitching staff delivered, powering it to 17-4 and 12-6 wins on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Entering the weekend in dead-last place in the conference, the Seawolves were in desperate need of a spark to keep with the pack. They got just that in the first inning of Friday’s opener, when designated hitter Nico Azpilcueta homered for his fourth-straight game, tucking a ball inside the right-field foul pole.
The Aggies returned the favor in the bottom of the opening inning, as N.C. A&T right fielder Bruce Wyche scampered home on a wild pitch uncorked by starter Eddie Smink.
Immediately after, in the top of the second, Stony Brook plated three. With catcher Luke Szepek at third and one out, shortstop Matt Miceli bounced a ball to his counterpart. The chance ate up N.C. A&T shortstop JT Taylor, bringing home Szepek and opening the door for a two-run homer by third baseman Evan Goforth, making the score 4-1.
Neither team scored until the bottom of the third, when the Aggies loaded the bases against Smink with nobody out. N.C. A&T catcher Tyler Smith then hit a tailor-made double play to Miceli. As he fielded, his flip to second baseman Brett Davino went awry, bringing home a pair of Aggies. Two batters later, N.C. A&T tied the game with a groundout before former-Seawolf — first baseman Jason Campo — drove in the go-ahead run with a ground ball. Designated hitter Andrew Tinsley piled on, adding a run-scoring knock to make the score 6-4 Aggies by the inning’s end.
Smink did not make it through the third, allowing six runs (five earned) over 2 ⅔ innings on six hits and two walks while striking out just two batters.
However, Stony Brook immediately re-took the lead in the ensuing half inning. With runners at second and third, a sacrifice fly by first baseman Erik Paulsen and single by Azpilcueta tied the game, before a hit by right fielder Chanz Doughty once again put the Seawolves up 7-6.
Relief pitcher George Adams was unable to hold that lead, as Smith flipped the scoreboard with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth.
Adams and N.C. A&T reliever Diego Barrett settled down from there, notching zeros in the next two innings.
In the top of the seventh, Barrett cracked. Trailing 8-7, Doughty was hit by a pitch before swiping second base with one out. Davino then brought him home with a single through the middle. Two batters later, Szepek drilled a run-scoring double to left field to put the Seawolves up 9-8. That would be all Stony Brook scored on the night.
In the bottom of the seventh, head coach Matt Senk called on relief pitcher Nicholas Rizzo. After a strikeout, single and groundout put a runner at second with one-out, Campo once again bit his old club with a game-tying double into the left-field corner.
The Aggies took the lead in the eighth, as N.C. A&T third baseman Enrique Wood singled to start the frame. Following a fielder’s choice, Senk pulled Rizzo in favor of reliever Jacob Pedersen. He promptly gave up consecutive singles to Wyche and Smith to load the bases. Smith’s single hardly left the batter’s box, creating a confusing fair-or-foul call that incensed Senk.
Nonetheless, Taylor delivered the final dagger, lining a two-run single into center to put the Aggies up 11-9. In the top of the ninth, N.C. A&T reliever Jacob Halford struck out the side to polish off an Aggies victory as Stony Brook’s pitching woes continued.
On Saturday, Senk got creative with his plans on the mound. He sent relief pitcher Ty Panariello — who has been used at times this season as a starter — to the bump for his second start of the week following three scoreless innings against Manhattan on Tuesday. Panariello rewarded his coach’s decision, turning in five innings of one-run ball while allowing six hits, no walks and striking out three batters.
Offensively, the Seawolves continued to mash. Paulsen and Doughty put them ahead early with first inning doubles. In the second, Miceli doubled home left fielder Chris Carson before Goforth socked a ball off the top of the wall in left-center field to bring home center fielder Nick Zampieron and Miceli.
Already ahead 3-0, Stony Brook blew the game open in the third inning. Doughty doubled again before moving to third on a single by second baseman Johnny Pilla. That would spell the end of N.C. A&T starting pitcher Matt Murtagh’s day, as he gave way to reliever Braxton Davis. Davis failed to better the situation, firing consecutive wild pitches to plate a pair. He then walked Szepek and moved the catcher up 90 feet with another ball to the backstop.
Carson cashed in on the opportunity with a runner in scoring position, singling into right to extend the Seawolves’ lead to 7-0. Following a walk by Zampieron, Davis exited as N.C. A&T head coach Ben Hall dipped deeper into his relief corps, bringing in reliever Taili Thompson. Miceli then made it 8-0 with a sacrifice fly before another Goforth double brought in Zampieron to finish the inning ahead 9-0.
N.C. A&T left fielder Savoi Edwards finally figured out Panariello in the home half of the fifth, slugging a solo home run to make the score 9-1. The Aggies scored a pair in the sixth before Stony Brook erupted for an eight-spot in the seventh.
With the bases loaded, Zampieron was hit by a pitch before Miceli walked to bring home two. Then, Carson crossed the plate on a wild pitch to make it 12-3. Paulsen and Azpilcueta then picked up runs batted in (RBI) with a single and sacrifice fly, consecutively. Doughty tucked a fly ball inside the right-field line for his third double of the game, scoring Goforth from second. To finish the scoring, second baseman James Schaffer — who replaced Pilla — ripped a two-run double down the left-field line.
The Aggies scored a run in the bottom of the seventh before the run-rule was enacted at 17-4, evening the series at a game apiece.
Strong pitching and early offense was the story on Sunday as well. After starting pitcher John Rizzo sidestepped a two-out single in the bottom of the first, Doughty gave the Seawolves the lead in the second with a leadoff homer. After a flyout by Pilla, Szepek blasted a home run of his own to double the lead.
John Rizzo continued to hurl scoreless frames, retiring the next eight hitters. Behind 2-0, second baseman AJ Jones singled and Edwards reached on an error with two outs. With a 2-2 count, Rizzo reared back and blew a fastball past Campo to retire the side.
Both offenses were quiet until the sixth when Stony Brook dropped a six-run frame on the N.C. A&T bullpen. With Azpilcueta aboard to start the inning, a throwing error by Taylor allowed him to come around on a ground ball by Doughty.
Back-to-back walks by Pilla and Szepek loaded the bases for Carson, who made it 4-0 with a sacrifice fly. Zampieron made it five with a bunt single to drive in Pilla before Miceli brought home Szepek with a single. Later in the inning, Goforth picked up another two RBIs with a single into right field.
Trying to make amends for his error, Taylor started the bottom of the sixth with a home run. With one out, Rizzo walked Edwards but induced a double play from Campo to end the inning. He finished his day on a high note, firing a 1-2-3 seventh inning, with a pair of flyouts bookending a strikeout of Wood.
Before giving way to the bullpen, Rizzo turned in his best start of the season. He went seven innings on Sunday, allowing three hits, two walks, a hit batter and a single earned run. Along the way, Rizzo picked up seven punchouts.
Already up 8-1, the Seawolves picked up another four in the top of the ninth, headlined by a two-run double by Szepek.
After working through trouble in the eighth inning, reliever Matthew Canizares ran into more trouble in the ninth. A double and a pair of hit batsmen loaded the bases for Wyche, who was hit by a pitch. Canizares surrendered a two-out, two-run double before getting pulled. Relief pitcher Alex Jankowski allowed a single to score an inherited runner before getting Edwards to fly out to Doughty to wrap up a 12-6 win and a series victory.
Stony Brook’s offense continued to produce, scoring 38 runs in the three games. As a team, the Seawolves sit second in the conference in home runs with 38. Additionally, they have the fifth-most runs league wide with 213.
Doughty was a monster at the plate this weekend, going 7-for-14 with five runs scored, three doubles, four RBIs and a home run. He also swiped a pair of bases in as many tries. His six homers on the year are the second-most of any Seawolf behind Azpilcueta.
Azpilcueta had four hits in 13 at bats, homering and driving in four runs. He also scored four runs. His nine long balls put him in a tie for third in the CAA.
After missing last weekend’s series, Pilla had a productive return to the lineup. He took just one at bat on Friday, but went 4-for-7 with four runs scored and three walks.
As part of a six-hit weekend, Szepek went 3-for-4 on Sunday. He homered, scored three runs and drove in three in the series finale. In total, Szepek crossed the plate six times, doubled twice and had four RBIs.
Goforth went 5-for-13 with a team-high seven RBIs. He belted a home run and two doubles, while walking once, stealing a base and scoring three times.
Carson went 3-for-9 with four runs and three RBIs. Despite just two hits in eight at bats, Miceli scored four runs and drove in four. Zampieron went 3-for-6 across the two games that he played. The freshman center fielder scored four times and had two RBIs.
Paulsen struggled in his first weekend since exiting concussion protocol, going just 2-for-14. Nevertheless, he scored a pair of runs, doubled and drove in two runs.
As a team, the Seawolves ran wild. They stole nine bases, including nine from Carson. Senk’s club just trails Northeastern in swipes across the CAA. Conversely, Szepek shut down the Aggies’ running game, gunning down two of the four attempted base stealers.
Coming off an encouraging weekend, Stony Brook will host the Sacred Heart Pioneers on Tuesday at Joe Nathan Field. Sacred Heart is 14-15 on the season and 9-6 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play, after dropping two of three to Fairfield this past weekend. First pitch on Tuesday is penciled in for 3:30 p.m.
