The Stony Brook softball team’s three-game win streak came to a screeching halt, as it was run-ruled by an in-state, non-conference foe.
On Wednesday, the Seawolves (15-18, 10-5 CAA) were in Queens, N.Y., for a matinee matchup against the St. John’s Red Storm (31-10-1, 11-1 Big East) at Red Storm Field. Stony Brook’s bats fell silent, and St. John’s capitalized on it to end the game with an 8-0 mercy-rule win after five innings.
Following a quiet top of the first inning for the Seawolves, the Red Storm tagged starting pitcher Maddie Male in the bottom of the frame. After a leadoff knock by center fielder Jess Bianco, shortstop London Jarrard muscled a two-run home run over the right-field fence. With one out and St. John’s right fielder Elanna Lysiak on second base after right fielder Emma Scheitinger failed to catch a flyout, left fielder Cassidy Stouffer knocked a run-scoring double into the left-field gap to give the Red Storm an early 3-0 lead.
St. John’s kept its foot on the gas and quickly loaded the bases in the bottom of the second inning with three consecutive singles, which brought up Jarrard with no outs. Jarrard sent a ball into center field that was misplayed by center fielder Alyssa Costello, allowing a run to score and Jarrard to reach first base.
During the next at-bat, Lysiak sent a grounder to third base. Shortstop Kyra McFarland — who played third on Wednesday — stepped on the third-base bag for one out but was unable to complete the double play, as another run crossed the plate to put the Johnnies ahead 5-0 after two innings.
With one out in the bottom of the third inning, the Red Storm struck once again. St. John’s first baseman Melanie Santos took the first pitch she saw deep to center field for a solo homer, sending Male out of the game while Stony Brook’s deficit ballooned to 6-0.
Head coach Megan Bryant called right-hander Crimson Rice out of the bullpen, who limited the damage in the third inning by getting two quick outs to momentarily keep her team in the game.
In the top of the fourth inning, the Seawolves had a golden chance to break through offensively but squandered it. After Stony Brook filled the bases with three consecutive singles to start the frame, St. John’s starting pitcher Loreley Francia struck out Scheitinger before getting left fielder Marissa Thalassinos to ground into a 6-3 double play to end the threat.
Rice thwarted St. John’s in the fourth inning, but the Johnnies got hot again in the fifth. After Rice got two quick outs to begin the stanza, she issued a walk before allowing two singles to load the bases. With the mercy rule in sight, Jarrard picked up another run batted in (RBI) on a fielder’s choice. With just one run needed for victory, Lysiak knocked a long single over Costello’s head, scoring third baseman Madison Konopka to end the game.
The Seawolves struggled in the circle throughout the day, as Male allowed six runs (five earned) on seven hits in 2 ⅓ innings of work. She recorded just one strikeout.
Rice did not fare well either, as she gave up two runs on two hits and two walks in the final 2 ⅓ innings while failing to pick up a punchout.
On the other side, Francia shut down Stony Brook’s offense, hurling four shutout innings while allowing just four hits, one walk and striking out five batters. Relief pitcher Jailynn Banda pitched the final inning for St. John’s and worked around a hit and walk to strand both runners.
Jarrard’s bat propelled the Red Storm to the dominant victory, as she went 1-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Lysiak went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base. Stouffer and Santos each went 1-for-3 with an RBI on a double and homer, respectively.
The Seawolves’ lineup never got off the ground, as Costello was the only player with multiple hits, going 2-for-4. Designated player Nicole Allen, third baseman Madelyn Stepski — who was stationed at second for the day — and first baseman Malorie Hill were the only other Stony Brook players to record a hit. The team failed to record an extra-base knock.
The Seawolves will return to University Field this weekend where they will host the Monmouth Hawks for a three-game series. The Hawks are 9-30 on the season, which includes a 5-10 record in Coastal Athletic Association play. Monmouth is coming off a 10-6 defeat at the hands of Columbia on Wednesday and has dropped its last 14 games. On the flip side, Stony Brook will look to add onto its eight-game conference winning streak. The series’ first pitch is set for Friday at 2 p.m.
