During another dominating weekend in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play, the Stony Brook softball team picked up its second consecutive sweep to stretch its conference winning streak to eight games.
In a similar fashion to their last series, the Seawolves (15-17, 10-5 CAA) returned home to University Field this weekend and their bats showed out against the North Carolina A&T (N.C. A&T) Aggies (9-27, 2-13 CAA) during a three-game set. With inclement weather altering the weekend slate, Stony Brook cruised to a 7-1 victory during game one on Friday before completing the doubleheader sweep with a 7-2 win later in the day. Following an off day, the Seawolves took the series finale 5-2 on Sunday to complete the sweep.
After leaving two runners in scoring position to start the series opener, Stony Brook assured it did not make the same mistake twice. With a pair of runners in striking distance and one out in the bottom of the second inning, N.C. A&T right-hander Lauren Hardy hurled her second wild pitch of the frame, allowing right fielder Marissa Thalassinos to score the game’s first run and first baseman Malorie Hill to trot over to third base.
Immediately after, second baseman Naiah Ackerman capped off a nine-pitch at-bat by knocking a sacrifice fly to shallow center field, doubling the Seawolves’ advantage to 2-0.
In the top of the third inning, the Aggies got a run back, but shot themselves in the foot.
With runners on the corners and no one out, N.C A&T tried to pull off a double steal to get on the board. However, catcher Emily Reinstein gunned down right fielder Avrelle Harrell at second base. In the process, third baseman Trinity Glover got caught in a rundown between third and home, allowing third baseman Madelyn Stepski to apply the tag on her.
Following the unconventional double play, catcher Tyra Robinson blasted a home run over the left-center field fence off starting pitcher Crimson Rice, as the baserunning blunder turned a potential go-ahead three-run bomb into a solo shot.
In the bottom of the third, Stony Brook continued to jump on Hardy. With center fielder Alyssa Costello standing on second base and one away, Stepski slashed an opposite-field, run-scoring triple into the right-field corner.
During the ensuing at-bat, designated player Mia Vannelli drove in Stepski with a groundout to make it 4-1.
After a quick inning for Rice in the top of the fourth, Stony Brook firmly put the contest out of reach in the bottom stanza. With one gone and Reinstein on second base, Ackerman crushed a double into the left-center field gap to pick up a run batted in (RBI).
With runners now on the corners and Costello at the plate, Hardy’s first pitch of the at-bat bounced off of Robinson’s glove and rolled to the backstop, prompting Ackerman to score and shortstop Kyra McFarland to make it all the way to third base on a passed ball.
Later in the at-bat, Costello cashed in another run by sending a sacrifice fly into left field to make it 7-1.
Over the final three innings, Rice allowed just three baserunners and stranded them all to secure the win. On the day, Rice notched a one-run complete game on five hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Sensing a chance to sweep the doubleheader, Stony Brook wasted no time getting on the board in game two. With N.C. A&T starting pitcher Joey Barkhimer in the circle, McFarland led off the bottom of the first inning with a well-struck single that Harrell bobbled, allowing McFarland to go to second base. After Costello advanced McFarland to third with a flyout, left fielder Nicole Allen drove her in with a groundout to short.
An inning later, the Seawolves blew the game wide open. With the bases loaded and one out, McFarland blasted a long, RBI single off the center-field wall.
Two batters later, Allen had an opportunity to deliver with the bases still juiced and hustled her way into doing so. Allen yanked a pitch to N.C A&T first baseman Jamari Moss and legged out an infield single, prolonging the frame and bringing two runs across the plate.
After Stepski walked to reload the bases, Vannelli laced a two-out, RBI single into left field to extend Stony Brook’s lead to 5-0 and chase Barkhimer from the game in favor of reliever Aaliyah Williams.
Following the Seawolves’ second-inning offensive outburst, Williams and starting pitcher Maddie Male traded scoreless frames before the Aggies started creeping back into the game in the fifth inning. N.C. A&T second baseman Avery Evans led off the fifth by sending a grounder to McFarland that she booted, giving the Aggies some life. Immediately after, Glover belted a two-run homer to straightaway center field, cutting Stony Brook’s lead to three runs.
Glover’s roundtripper prematurely ended Male’s outing. Across her four-plus innings of work, the southpaw surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits, a walk and a punchout.
With Male out of the game, fellow left-hander Gabrielle Maday entered in relief and stopped the bleeding, allowing the Seawolves to erase N.C. A&T’s hard work in the bottom of the fifth inning. Williams finally cracked with one on and one out, as Reinstein sent a towering two-run shot to dead center field for her second home run in her last three games, regaining Stony Brook’s five-run lead.
After twirling a 1-2-3 sixth inning, Maday worked through traffic in the seventh and Reinstein mowed down Harrell at second base to seal the win.
“We come out fired up, so the key there is to try to keep that fire throughout the game,” head coach Megan Bryant said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “What was really good for us were our productive at-bats. We did a good job of being productive, even when we didn’t get hits.”
Out of the bullpen, Maday was nails yet again, scattering three hits over three scoreless innings to earn her second save of the campaign.
Much like they did throughout the series, the Seawolves drew first blood immediately on Sunday. In the bottom of the first inning, McFarland and Costello greeted Williams with a single and double, respectively. With the duo in scoring position, Allen made her mark once again, pulling an RBI single through the right side with the Aggies’ infield in.
Following a steal by Allen to place two runners in scoring position again, Stepski brought in a run and moved Allen to third base with a groundout to short. During the next at-bat, Vannelli drew a walk and upon reaching first base, took off to swipe a bag of her own. Though Vannelli was caught at second, Allen was able to dash home on the throw to extend Stony Brook’s lead to 3-0.
In the circle, Rice navigated through baserunners across each of the first three innings before getting burned in the fourth. With two Aggies on and one out, Moss drilled a line drive off of Rice’s glove, which caromed to McFarland at short. McFarland quickly collected it and attempted to get a forceout at second, but the throw glanced off the tip of Ackerman’s glove and rolled into the outfield, causing a run to score and Evans to advance to third.
Immediately after, N.C. A&T left fielder Destiny Sims chopped another grounder toward McFarland, who skipped her throw to the plate to bring the Aggies within 3-2.
With N.C. A&T’s two-run frame, Rice’s day came to a close. Over her four innings, the right-hander surrendered two runs (one earned) on four hits, four walks and two whiffs.
Nonetheless, the Seawolves quickly got back a run. Leading off the bottom of the fourth frame, right fielder Emma Scheitinger drove a ball to right and Harrell slipped on the slick grass while tracking it, culminating in Scheitinger sliding headfirst into third base with a triple. Following her up, Reinstein sent a sacrifice fly to left to make it 4-2.
After seeing dip at the dish last season, Reinstein’s strong offensive performance over the weekend continued to highlight her resurgence in 2025.
“Working with [assistant] coach [Nicole] Bowman has definitely helped a lot,” Reinstein said. “Working on how to adjust my swing, what works best for me and then pushing for that in practice. Then, I just work from there and stay calm during the game.”
An inning later, Stony Brook tacked on an insurance run. Following a leadoff walk, Allen boomed an RBI double off the center-field fence.
With her two-RBI day, Allen brought her season total to 10 in just 11 games and seven starts after returning from a broken finger that prevented her from seeing game action earlier in the year.
“Honestly, I think I thrive and do better when people are on base,” Allen said. “I obviously know I have to bring them in for my team. Even if it’s just putting a ground ball through the right side, I know I can get the run and put up productive at-bats.”
The Seawolves’ fifth run of the contest capped off the day’s scoring, as Maday entered in relief and hurled three scoreless innings to the tune of one hit and two strikeouts, earning her second save of the weekend as Stony Brook brought the brooms out.
“We weren’t firing on all cylinders today, but we still found a way to win,” Bryant said. “That’s the sign of a good team. I thought we could’ve been more productive offensively and we had an uncharacteristically messy inning defensively. But [Maday] gave us a lift and we got the win.”
Offensively, the Seawolves received contributions from all over the lineup. McFarland stayed hot, going 4-for-12 with an RBI and four runs scored. Ackerman went 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs, two runs and three walks.
Allen’s torrid start to her collegiate career showed no signs of slowing, as she delivered three hits in nine at-bats with a double, five RBIs, a run and a steal.
Costello went 4-for-9 with a double, an RBI, four runs, a walk and a stolen base, while Stepski went 2-for-8 with a double, a triple, two RBIs, a run, a walk, a steal and a hit-by-pitch.
Reinstein also continued to rake, going 3-for-7 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs. Vannelli went 1-for-7, but racked up two RBIs, a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
In two starts, Scheitinger went 2-for-5 with a triple, two runs and a walk.
Looking to stretch their winning streak to four games, the Seawolves will head to Queens on Wednesday for a non-conference matchup with the St. John’s Red Storm. The Johnnies are 30-10-1 this season and 11-1 against Big East foes. St. John’s has won its last seven games overall and is riding into the contest fresh off a three-game sweep over DePaul. First pitch is set for 2:30 p.m.
