Following a big weekend, the Stony Brook Softball team earned a split in its midweek doubleheader in New Jersey.
On Tuesday, the Seawolves (19-19, 13-5 CAA) made the trip to the Garden State for a doubleheader against the Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) Knights (21-19, 11-4 NEC). In the opener, Stony Brook fell by a final of 6-2 before the bats woke up, en route to a 15-0 victory in the nightcap.
The Seawolves threatened early against Knights starter Brooklyn Shroyer as it immediately loaded the bases to open the game. After a strikeout, designated player Mia Vannelli walked to force in a run before right fielder Emma Scheitinger reached on an error, making it 2-0.
The Knights made life difficult on starting pitcher Crimson Rice early on, as she allowed leadoff singles to FDU second baseman Brianna Holguin and first baseman Kailee O’Sullivan with one out. O’Sullivan’s hit ricocheted off of the pitching rubber, bounced off shortstop Kyra McFarland’s glove, then went past center fielder Alyssa Costello, allowing Holguin to score all the way from first base and make it 2-1. Rice was able to escape the inning by limiting the damage and preserving her team’s lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, FDU grabbed the lead. Rice allowed back-to-back singles to center fielder Madison Rishel and Holguin, knocking her out of the game.
After head coach Megan Bryant made the move to reliever Gabrielle Maday, tasking her with escaping a jam with two on and no out. With runners at second and third, O’Sullivan came up to singled home both, giving the Knights a 3-2 lead.
Despite a leadoff double by catcher Emily Reinstein, Stony Brook was unable to push the equalizer across in the top of the sixth against FDU relief pitcher Julia Swan.
In the home half of the sixth, the Knights tacked on three. After loading the bases with nobody out, O’Sullivan continued to torment Seawolves pitching by lining a double down the right field line, bringing in two runs. With the double, O’Sullivan picked up her fourth and fifth runs batted in (RBI) of the game. Two batters later, pinch-hitter Jordyn Hemingway hit a sacrifice fly to make it 6-2.
Swan made fairly quick work of the Seawolves in the top of the seventh as she picked up a pair of strikeouts to close out the win for FDU.
For Stony Brook, Rice suffered the loss, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out two and walking two.
Just like they did in the first game of the day, the Seawolves drew first blood in game two. McFarland led off the top of the first with a single, before Costello drew a walk. Then, left fielder Nicole Allen singled through the right side to drive in McFarland to give Stony Brook a 1-0 advantage.
From there, Costello swiped home with the help of an error by FDU shortstop Celeste Quezada.
Third baseman Madelyn Stepski — who was at the plate during that sequence — followed by smacking a triple off the right-field wall to bring home Allen. Vannelli capped off the four-run first inning with a sacrifice fly, scoring Stepski.
On the other side, starting pitcher Maddie Male cruised through five shutout innings, allowing three hits and a walk while striking out three.
The Seawolves added on in the top of the second as Costello delivered a two-run single into right field before advancing to third on an error in right. Allen cashed in a runner in scoring position once again, grounding out to short to bring in Costello.
A pair of singles by right fielder Kaiya Simpkins and first baseman Malorie Hill put runners on the corners with one out in the third, before Bryant once again dipped into her bag of tricks. For the second time in the game, the Seawolves executed a double-steal to plate a run and make it 8-0. Later in the inning, Allen was plunked with the bases loaded to push the lead to nine.
After a scoreless fourth on both sides, Stony Brook plated six in the top of the fifth, spearheaded by an RBI double from Reinstein and a two-run double by Hill. Ahead 15-0, Male closed the door with a scoreless bottom half, enacting the run-rule.
McFarland led the offense, going 4-for-8 across the twin bill. She also walked, stole a base and scored two runs. Costello went 3-for-4 while walking four times, scoring four times and driving two runs.
Allen was a major run producer, tallying three RBIs as part of a 1-for-4 day that included two walks. Reinstein went 3-for-6 with two doubles and a run batted in. Hill went 3-for-4 in game two with two runs and two RBIs, but went hitless in two at-bats in the opener.
The Seawolves will be back on the road for the continuation of their Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) slate against the University of North Carolina Wilmington Seahawks this weekend. The Seahawks have a record of 23-18 this season — along with a 9-9 mark in CAA play — and are coming off a 5-0 defeat at the hands of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. First pitch for the series opener is set for 6 p.m. on Friday.
