After losing its 13-game Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) winning streak during its last time out, the Stony Brook softball team got back on track in its final midweek, non-conference game of the season.
On Wednesday, the Seawolves (22-20, 15-6 CAA) began a four-game homestand at University Field with a non-conference contest against the Wagner Seahawks (15-23, 10-8 NEC). Backed by strong performances from both its pitching staff and lineup, Stony Brook took down Wagner 5-1.
The Seawolves got the scoring going early, drawing first blood in the bottom of the first inning after starting pitcher Crimson Rice stranded a pair of Seahawks in the top of the frame. Following a leadoff single by shortstop Kyra McFarland, center fielder Alyssa Costello boomed an opposite-field double off the left-center field wall. With a pair of runners in scoring position, left fielder Nicole Allen picked up a run batted in (RBI) on a groundout.
Following a second inning that saw McFarland make a heads-up play to tag the potential tying run out between third base and home, Stony Brook broke things open in the bottom of the third. Costello and Allen started the rally with consecutive singles to put runners on the corners with no one out, allowing designated player Mia Vannelli to dump an RBI single into right-center field and take second on the throw home.
Immediately after, catcher Emily Reinstein made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly to center field, which also advanced Vannelli to third base in the process. During the ensuing at-bat, Wagner starting pitcher Emma Crosby’s struggles continued, as she fired a wild pitch that scored Vannelli to stretch the Seahawks’ hole to 4-0.
In the bottom of the fifth inning, Stony Brook extended its lead to 5-0. With Crosby still in the circle and one away, Reinstein laced a double that Wagner left fielder Lilly Banse dove for but failed to secure. Right fielder Emma Scheitinger was able to cash Reinstein in, as she followed the backstop up by driving a run-scoring double over Wagner center fielder Noelle Estephan’s head before being thrown out at third base in an attempt to stretch it into a triple.
“I just take what [assistant coach Nicole] Bowman says every inning and make adjustments,” Scheitinger said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “[Bowman] has the most information so I just trust what she says and try to make contact.”
During the top of the sixth inning, the Seahawks snapped the shutout. Wagner second baseman Alayna Giampolo drew a leadoff walk against reliever Gabrielle Maday to begin the frame and eventually put herself in scoring position by stealing second base. With two gone, Wagner first baseman Geanice Morales sent a high chopper that caromed off McFarland’s legs and into foul ground for an RBI single.
Nonetheless, Maday recorded the last four outs of the game, two of which came via strikeout, with ease to close the book on the Seahawks.
Throughout the day, the Seawolves’ pitching staff combined to surrender just two hits and two walks across seven innings of one-run softball. Rice allowed a hit and a walk while picking up a punchout before paving the way for left-hander Maddie Male, who twirled two spotless innings in relief with a strikeout to earn the win.
Maday worked three frames, giving up a run on a hit and a walk. Despite allowing Stony Brook’s only run, the left-hander had all her pitches working, as she collected five punchouts en route to taking sole possession atop the CAA saves leaderboard with her fifth of the campaign.
“[Rice] did good to put up goose eggs,” head coach Megan Bryant said. “[Male] and [Maday] came in and did a better job of getting ahead and I thought [Maday] was outstanding to close them out.”
At the dish, Stony Brook had a nice day at the office, scoring its five runs on 10 hits despite leaving six runners aboard.
“I think we’re a team this year that is really good at building off of each other,” Costello said. “I think our energy in the dugout is transferring to confidence at the plate for us and that’s really nice to see, especially for the younger girls.”
Costello and Scheitinger were at the forefront of the Seawolves’ success with the bat. Costello went 2-for-3 with a double, a run scored and a hit-by-pitch while Scheitinger also went 2-for-3 but notched an RBI and swiped a bag.
Reinstein also performed well, going 1-for-2 with a double, an RBI and a run. Allen went 1-for-3, picking up a double, an RBI and a run. In three at-bats, Vannelli recorded a base knock for an RBI and scored a run as well.
McFarland went 1-for-4 with a run while third baseman Daniella Sofia collected a hit in her lone plate appearance. Second baseman Naiah Ackerman went 1-for-3 with a double.
With Stony Brook’s non-conference schedule officially behind it, the Seawolves will wrap up their home schedule this weekend with a three-game series against the Hofstra Pride. For the season, Hofstra is 16-24 overall and 11-10 in conference action. The Pride will enter the series having defeated St. John’s 3-1 on Wednesday. First pitch for the latest edition of the Battle of Long Island is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday.
