Playing consecutive midweek contests for the first time this season, the Stony Brook baseball split its two-game slate.
After a big weekend from their bats, the Seawolves (21-17, 8-7 CAA) hit the road on Tuesday to take on the Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) Blue Devils (22-8, 17-1 NEC). Stony Brook rode a strong effort by four different pitchers to a 6-1 victory, before welcoming the Columbia Lions (19-16, 11-4 Ivy) to Joe Nathan Field on Wednesday. While each offense scored early, the game settled down in the late innings, as the Lions walked away with a 6-3 win.
In the first of two, Stony Brook scored early. Following two quick outs recorded by CCSU starter Jacob Hines, designated hitter Nico Azpilcueta and right fielder Chanz Doughty hit back-to-back doubles to put the Seawolves up 1-0 early.
However, the Blue Devils answered back immediately as they loaded the bases with just one out in the bottom of the first. With starting pitcher George Adams on the ropes, CCSU right fielder Gianno Merlonghi let him off the hook as he lifted a lazy fly ball to right field. While it served as the second out of the inning, it allowed left fielder Kyle Gordon to trot home from third with the equalizer.
Both sides remained quiet until the fifth, as Hines and a combination of Stony Brook arms threw up zeros for the next three frames. Most notably, Merlonghi split the gap in left-center field to start the fourth, ending up with three bases. Unfortunately for the Blue Devils, relief pitcher Aidan Colagrande struck out a pair and induced a soft line drive to sidestep the threat and hold the score at a run apiece.
Immediately after, left fielder Chris Carson led off the top of the fifth with a bunt hit. After stealing second and advancing to third on a throwing error, Carson crossed the plate on a groundout by third baseman Brett Davino, giving the Seawolves a 2-1 edge.
Stony Brook blew the game open in the sixth, as Azpilcueta continued to rake with a one-out single. Consecutive walks by CCSU reliever Niko Christon loaded the bases for catcher Scott Gell, who cashed in a pair, trickling a grounder past shortstop Brady Short. Christon then got the second out on a groundout by Carson, though it brought in second baseman Johnny Pilla from third to make the score 5-1. For good measure, Davino bounced a chopper to first which was mishandled by CCSU first baseman Aidan Redahan, allowing the Seawolves to plate their fourth run of the inning.
After putting a crooked number on the board, relief pitcher Vincent Mariella continued to work after entering in the fifth. He retired each of the next five batters before walking a pair and getting pulled by head coach Matt Senk. In relief, Senk turned to reliever Nicholas Rizzo, who escaped the jam despite plunking the first batter he faced.
The rest came easily for Rizzo, as he got a double play to help him through the eighth inning and forced three fly balls to work around two walks in the ninth; this closed the door for the Seawolves’ fourth-straight win.
Each of Senk’s four options on the mound got at least six outs. Adams went two innings and allowed a run, while Colagrande, Mariella and Rizzo combined for seven innings of shutout ball. As a staff, Stony Brook allowed four hits and struck out six, but walked a whopping eight Blue Devils hitters.
On Wednesday, the Lions jumped on starter Evan Kay immediately. With two outs and the bases loaded, Columbia second baseman Jack Kail lined a single into left field to plate a pair. On the play, Kail was thrown out by Carson attempting to advance to second base, halting the scoring at two runs.
Stony Brook quickly tied the game in its half of the first, as Erik Paulsen drew a one-out walk. Then, Azpilcueta ripped a line-drive down the left-field line, which snuck inside the foul-pole and cleared the fence for a two-run game-tying homer.
The longball was his Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) leading 14th of the season.
“[Azpilcueta] is fun to watch,” Senk said in a postgame interview with The Statesman. “He doesn’t change from game to game. He’s so relaxed up there, he’s comfortable. He almost looks like a big-time prize fighter up there.”
Despite the tie game, the Lions offense roared back to life in the top of the second, scoring another three off Kay. With two outs and a man aboard, Columbia designated hitter Hunter Synder singled ahead of shortstop Sam Miller, who launched a three-run go-ahead shot over the left-field wall, putting the Lions up 5-2.
The Seawolves got a run closer in the third inning. Leading off the frame, center fielder Nick Zampieron was hit by a pitch. He advanced to third on a ground ball and flyout, before scoring on a double into the left-field corner by Doughty, cutting Colombia’s lead to two runs.
This score would hold into the late innings. In the top of the eighth, Columbia center fielder Skye Selinski blasted a solo homer off relief pitcher Matt Sgambati to regain the three-run advantage.
After entering in the seventh, Columbia reliever Ray Huke surrendered a leadoff single to Azpilcueta in the eighth. However, a pair of popouts squandered any chance of a rally, before a double play in the ninth brought the Lions within an out of a win. Pinch hitting for Zampieron, Luke Szepek popped out to end the game, ending the Seawolves’ midweek winning streak at seven games.
“We’ve played outstanding in these midweek games so far,” Senk said. “We’ve gone 7-1 so far, I’ll take 7-1 the rest of the way. These guys have done a great job all year and hit some balls hard today. But, at the end of the day, there are some things offensively that we need to do better.”
Despite ranking second in the CAA in batting average, Stony Brook mustered just three hits against the Lions. Nonetheless, it drew six walks and had a pair of extra-base hits in the loss.
Azpilcueta was the Seawolves’ best hitter over the two games. He went 4-for-8 with a double and a home run while scoring three runs and picking up three runs batted in (RBI). Doughty went 2-for-7 with a double in each game and two RBIs. He also scored a run on Tuesday.
Gell had a pair of hits on Tuesday but went hitless in three trips to the plate on Wednesday. Overall, he went 2-for-7 registering two RBIs and a run scored.
Otherwise, the offense was quiet, as many of Stony Brook’s key players went hitless.
“Granted, we didn’t strike out a lot,” Senk said. “However, we hit too many balls in the air and too many plus counts that we didn’t take advantage of. Disappointing that we couldn’t find a way to win today, but we have a big weekend coming up.”
Next on the docket for the Seawolves is a three-game set with the William & Mary Tribe at Joe Nathan Field. The series figures to have major implications in the CAA postseason hunt, as the Tribe lead Stony Brook by a game in the standings. Overall, William & Mary has gone 16-24, but posted a 9-6 record in conference play, after taking two of three from Campbell this weekend. Most recently, the Tribe beat up on Navy, grabbing a 9-3 victory Tuesday in Annapolis, Md. First pitch at Joe Nathan Field is set for 2 p.m. on Friday.
