It was smooth sailing once again for the Stony Brook softball team, who easily dispatched another Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) rival to extend its conference winning streak to 11 games.
The red-hot Seawolves (18-18, 13-5 CAA) were back at University Field over the weekend for a three-game set with a team trending in the opposite direction: the Monmouth Hawks (9-33, 5-13 CAA). To open the series on Friday, Stony Brook cruised to an 8-0, run-rule victory in six innings before dominating Saturday’s contest 14-3 in five innings. On Sunday, the Seawolves completed the sweep with a five-inning, 14-1 win to close out the cold, wet and windy weekend while handing the Hawks their 17th-straight loss in the process.
On Friday, Stony Brook’s lineup struck fast, early and often. With the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the second inning after a pair of misplays in center field, Monmouth starting pitcher Jayla Cadena got shortstop Kyra McFarland to line out, paving a potential pathway out of the jam. However, center fielder Alyssa Costello had other ideas, as she roped a two-out, run-scoring single into right field to put her team ahead 1-0.
An inning later, the Seawolves showed off their slugging capabilities. With one gone, designated player Mia Vannelli crushed a solo home run off the scoreboard in left field. Immediately after, right fielder Emma Scheitinger’s speed was on full display, as she split the left-center field gap and flew to third base with a triple. On the next pitch, catcher Emily Reinstein lifted a sacrifice fly to left field to make it 3-0.
In the top of the fourth inning, Monmouth had its only real opportunity to scratch across a run. With two outs, McFarland bounced a throw that first baseman Malorie Hill failed to pick, keeping the inning going. Immediately after, designated player Clare Picone drove a double for the Hawks’ first and last hit of the game. However, Rice induced a groundout off center fielder Lexi Castaneda’s bat to strand both runners in scoring position.
Following Rice’s strong effort, Stony Brook doubled its lead in the bottom of the fourth. After stringing consecutive singles together to lead things off, Costello blasted a three-run shot over the right-field fence to make it 6-0 and bring her runs batted in (RBI) total to four on the day, prompting the Hawks to turn to reliever Olivia Lewis.
“The biggest thing for me this season is staying composed in the box,” Costello said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “I’m really trying to focus on swinging at pitches that I’m sure I can drive.”
The Seawolves would end the game soon after. With one away and two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the fifth inning, McFarland yanked a sacrifice fly to right field.
After nearly ending the game in the fifth with a close play at first base that did not go Costello’s way, Stony Brook brought the hammer down in the sixth. With the bases juiced and one out, Reinstein poked an RBI single that Monmouth right fielder Sammy Miller could not secure, allowing a walk-off via the mercy rule to prematurely close the contest.
Complementing the Seawolves’ locked-in lineup, Rice twirled a gem in the circle. The right-hander threw a one-hit, complete-game shutout while striking out four Hawks and walking three.
Led by her rise ball, Rice’s splendid outing served as another step in cementing herself as Stony Brook’s ace during her first collegiate season.
“I’ve really been working on my mindset and learning to trust my defense,” Rice said. “Having this defense at the Division I level and trusting my spin, then it’s just about going in there to compete and do my job.”
After struggling at the plate against St. John’s, head coach Megan Bryant was pleased with her team’s ability to bounce back during CAA action.
“Over the course of a 50-game season, you have to learn how to turn the page,” Bryant said. “I thought we responded really well and we know the importance of these CAA games. We made the most of this opportunity today.”
Unlike game one, the middle game started poorly for the Seawolves, as Monmouth shortstop Giana Scotti took starting pitcher Maddie Male deep to left-center field to lead off the contest.
Nevertheless, Stony Brook quickly washed away that run and then some with a lopsided offensive display in the bottom of the first inning. After getting the first two batters on, left fielder Nicole Allen hammered a three-run homer off of Lewis to straightaway center field.
Later on in the frame, with a runner on and two outs, Reinstein sent a flyball to center field that kept carrying and knocked off the top of the wall for an RBI double. Hill followed by notching a run-scoring single into right field to make it 5-1.
With the bases now loaded following a pair of walks, Costello grounded a ball to second baseman Isabella Slape. However, she bobbled it, leading to a pair of runs coming home.
Upon reaching first, Costello stole second to put a pair of runners in scoring position. From there, Allen ripped a grounder through first baseman Izzy Bonacci’s legs, making it a five-RBI inning for her and a nine-run first for her team.
Allen attributed the team’s raging-hot start to positive vibes and being well-rounded in all facets of the game.
“Our energy and our synergy has been really good these past few games,” Allen said. “Our dugout is a big thing and so is playing complimentary softball. Hitting, fielding and the dugout makes a big difference.”
Despite falling into a deep hole, the Hawks showed some fight in the second inning. Monmouth right fielder Kylee McLain and left fielder Kaitlynn Place began the frame with back-to-back doubles to bring a run home and chase Male from the game after just an inning-plus.
With right-hander Jordyn Fray on in relief, third baseman Gianna Stern slapped an RBI single into right field, cutting the Seawolves’ advantage to 9-3.
After allowing the inherited runner to score, Fray settled in and set the stage for Stony Brook to regain its nine-run lead. With two runners on and two outs, Bonacci — who replaced Lewis in the circle — surrendered an RBI double to second baseman Naiah Ackerman. Immediately after, McFarland laced an opposite-field, two-RBI double into the left-center field gap to stretch her team’s lead to 12-3.
Following a few quiet innings, the Seawolves delivered in the fourth to ensure that Monmouth would not be able to prevent the mercy in the fifth. With a runner on and two away, McFarland showed off her opposite-field power once again, lacing a two-run bomb over the left-center field fence.
During a game that saw Stony Brook battle through poor conditions to post a monstrous number on the scoreboard, McFarland credited the lineup’s success to team chemistry.
“We rely on each other,” McFarland said. “Any day that it’s cold, windy and rainy and no one really wants to be here, we all banded together and decided that we’re playing that game, especially, for each other.”
In relief, left-hander Gabrielle Maday stranded a pair of runners in the top of the fifth inning to seal the victory.
“From one through nine, we were hitting the ball hard,” Bryant said. “We also did a great job of being productive today with two outs. We kept the pedal to the metal, scored in multiple innings and played great defense.”
Though Male allowed three runs on three hits and a strikeout across an inning-plus, Stony Brook’s bullpen shut the door on Monmouth. Fray hurled three scoreless frames, allowing two hits and two walks, while Maday also pitched a scoreless inning despite surrendering a hit and a free pass.
In a near-carbon copy of Saturday’s game, the Seawolves were firing on all cylinders during the series finale and posted a crooked number in the first inning. With two runners in scoring position and one out, third baseman Madelyn Stepski drove a pitch from Cadena off the center-field fence for a two-RBI double.
With runners now on the corners and two away, Stony Brook did not let up, as Reinstein demolished a three-run homer to left field. Immediately after, Hill drew a two-out walk, allowing Ackerman to knock a two-run bomb off the left-field foul pole to cap off a seven-run first inning for the Seawolves.
“We’ve been coming out with a lot of confidence,” Ackerman said. “We’re just competing and we know that we’re going to win the game no matter what.”
The second inning was much of the same for Stony Brook, as it stretched its lead out to 11-0 with Bonacci in the circle for the Hawks. Following a leadoff double from Costello, Allen poked an RBI single through the left side and traded places with Costello on the throw.
With Allen now at third base and one out, Vannelli dumped a run-scoring single into center field. Two batters later, Reinstein sent a single up the middle for her second two-out, RBI knock in as many innings.
“I don’t allow myself to feel that pressure up there when there are two outs,” Reinstein said. “Just thinking small, hitting the pitch where it’s pitched and then trying to hit to advance the runner in that situation.”
Ackerman continued to make an impact, as she scorched a run-scoring double into the left-field corner a few batters later.
To lead off the bottom of the third inning, Costello and Allen strung back-to-back triples together off Lewis to make it 12-0. An inning later, McFarland roped a two-out, RBI single into center field before Costello tucked her second triple of the day into the right-field corner to put her team ahead 14-0.
Rice lost the shutout in the top of the fifth inning when Scotti ripped a two-out double off the top of the center-field fence to score a run, but it was not nearly enough. With the 14-1 thumping, Stony Brook run-ruled Monmouth for a third straight game.
“We’re a tough team to put away,” Bryant said. “I like our approach with two strikes. We’re hitting some really hard balls with two strikes. Sometimes, people are like ‘Just put balls in play,’ but we want to keep our approach, keep our good swing and I thought that was outstanding as well.”
Across her five innings, Rice allowed one run on five hits. Her control was impeccable, as she recorded three whiffs without issuing a walk.
At the dish, Costello and McFarland led the way. Costello — who was named the CAA Player of the Week — went 7-for-11 with a double, three triples, a home run, five RBIs, six runs scored, a walk and three steals. From the leadoff spot, McFarland went 6-for-9 with a double, a triple, a homer, six RBIs, six runs, a walk, a steal and a hit-by-pitch.
From the nine-hole, Ackerman went 6-for-8 with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs, three runs and a walk. Allen also enjoyed another nice weekend, going 5-for-12 with a triple, a home run, seven RBIs and two runs, which earned her a CAA Freshman of the Week nod.
Vannelli went 4-for-10 with a roundtripper, two RBIs, a pair of runs and a hit-by-pitch. Reinstein — who finished a triple shy of the cycle on Sunday — went 6-for-8 with two doubles, a longball, seven RBIs and three runs. Scheitinger went 4-for-10 with a triple, four runs and a swiped bag.
After struggling for much of this season, Hill had a strong series at the plate, delivering three hits in five at-bats with an RBI, three runs, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Stepski went 4-for-8 with a double, two RBIs, three runs, a walk and two stolen bases.
The Seawolves will begin a five-game road trip during their next outing, as they will head to Teaneck, N.J. for a non-conference doubleheader with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights on Tuesday. The Knights, who are 20-18 on the season and 11-4 in Northeast Conference play, are coming into the matchup having taken two out of three games against Saint Francis over the weekend. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
