In a disappointing conclusion to its regular season, the Stony Brook softball team shockingly dropped two out of three games to one of the nation’s worst teams.
To wrap up its regular season, the Seawolves (25-23, 18-9 CAA) were in Philadelphia to take on the Drexel Dragons (5-41, 5-22 CAA) — the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) last-place team. With hopes of improving its playoff seeding, Stony Brook dominated en route to a 14-0, run-rule victory in five innings during the series opener on Thursday. However, while playing with house money, the Dragons came out on top 7-6 on Friday before prevailing 18-17 in a slugfest on Saturday to pull off the upset series win.
In game one, the Seawolves came out firing on all cylinders. After shortstop Kyra McFarland picked up an infield single to lead off the contest, center fielder Alyssa Costello took Drexel starting pitcher Madison Taylor deep to right field to give Stony Brook an instant 2-0 lead.
In the top of the second inning, the Seawolves blew the game wide open. Following a leadoff double by right fielder Emma Scheitinger, third baseman Madelyn Stepski laid down a sacrifice bunt and Drexel third baseman Mia Garza’s throw hit Stepski, allowing Stepski to reach first base and Scheitinger to turn third and score.
Two batters later, second baseman Naiah Ackerman sent a one-out single into left field to put runners on the corners. Upon reaching first, Ackerman swiped second base and drew the throw from Drexel catcher Macie Bergmann, prompting Stepski to trot home and make it 4-0.
With a pair of runners now in scoring position and still just one out in the inning, Costello split the left-center field gap to plate both of them with a double. During the ensuing at-bat, left fielder Nicole Allen dumped a single into center field to advance Costello to third base, setting the stage for designated Mia Vannelli to find a hole through the left side of the infield to extend Stony Brook’s lead to 7-0.
Following up Vannelli, catcher Emily Reinstein brought home Allen and bumped Vannelli to third base with a groundout. Though the second out gave Taylor a path out of the frame, Vannelli dashed home when Taylor skipped a wild pitch into the dirt while facing Scheitinger.
With the bases finally empty for Taylor, Scheitinger made sure to keep her foot on the gas during her second time up in the frame. On a 3-1 count, the sophomore blasted her third home run of the season over the left-field fence to bookend an eight-run second inning for the Seawolves, making it 10-0.
Mercifully, Taylor was pulled from the game in favor of reliever Sidney Toukonen after Scheitinger’s longball. Unfortunately for the Dragons, Toukonen began to crumble in the third.
In the top of the third inning, Ackerman drilled a long double over Drexel center fielder Izzy Alamillo’s head. McFarland then dropped a bunt toward Toukonen, who airmailed the throw over first baseman Lily Meuninck’s head to score Ackerman and allow McFarland to make it all the way to third base.
With a chance to drive home another run, Costello opted to touch them all for a second time in the game, as she deposited an opposite-field, two-run homer over the left-field wall to stretch her RBI total to six on the day.
For good measure, Stony Brook added one more run in the top of the fourth, as Ackerman delivered an RBI double to make it 14-0.
While operating with a huge lead, starting pitcher Crimson Rice stranded a pair of runners in both the fourth and fifth innings to secure the win. The right-hander played a backseat to her offense but was lights out, as she racked up three strikeouts while working around three hits and two walks to earn a mercy-rule-shortened, complete-game shutout.
During the series’ middle game, the Seawolves started fast once again. Getting the start in the circle for Drexel was Toukonen, who started the top of the first inning by surrendering singles to McFarland and Costello before plunking Allen to load the bases. Vannelli and Reinstein then picked up back-to-back sacrifice flies to put Stony Brook ahead 2-0 in the opening inning for a second straight day.
Despite getting down early again, the Dragons did not roll over this time. With a runner on second base and one out in the bottom of the first inning, starting pitcher Maddie Male got Garza to hit a routine flyball to center field that Costello dropped to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Male proceeded to induce a popup off Drexel designated player Devyn Demchak’s bat for the second out but was unable to escape the jam, as Meuninck ripped an RBI single off Stepski’s glove and into left field.
The Dragons continued their two-out rally immediately after. With runners on the corners, left fielder Zoe Krizan pulled a single through a hole on the left side of the diamond to knot the game up at 2-2.
In the bottom of the second inning, Drexel took its first lead of the weekend. With the bases juiced and one gone, Garza knocked a single back up the middle to bring home a pair of runs. During the next at-bat, Demchak deposited a sacrifice fly to center field to score right fielder Kylah Reading and stretch the Dragons’ lead to 5-2.
While playing catch-up for the first time during the series, the Seawolves inched closer in the top of the third inning. With Costello on first base and two outs, Reinstein singled to prolong the inning, setting the stage for Scheitinger to deliver a two-out, RBI single into left field.
Nevertheless, the Dragons quickly washed away Stony Brook’s run. With left-hander Gabrielle Maday working in long relief, the Dragons strung together five consecutive singles to begin the bottom of the third inning, including RBI knocks from Alamillo and Reading.
Though two runs crossed the plate, the Seawolves were able to limit the damage to stay within striking distance. With the bases still filled and no outs, McFarland and Maday each got forceouts at home to prevent two runs before Maday got Meuninck to groundout, ending the threat.
Following a quiet fourth inning, Stony Brook made noise in the top of the fifth. After Allen and Vannelli reached base via a single and a walk, respectively, to begin the frame, Scheitinger connected with a pitch soon after and sent a towering three-run bomb to left-center field to bring the Seawolves within a run and chase Toukonen from the game.
However, Stony Brook’s comeback effort fell on deaf ears. After coming out of the bullpen, Taylor left the tying run stranded at second base to close out the fifth inning before leaving two more runners aboard in the top of the sixth. In the top of the seventh inning, Taylor retired the side in order as the Seawolves went down with a whimper.
On the pitching front, Male struggled and her defense did not help matters. The southpaw went just 1 ⅔ innings, as she surrendered five runs (three earned) on seven hits and a punchout. After a rocky start, Maday settled in, surrendering two runs on five hits and a strikeout over 4 ⅓ frames.
Friday’s pitching issues were just the beginning, however, as Stony Brook’s regular-season finale was a full on barn burner.
For a fourth straight game, the Seawolves kicked off the scoring in the first inning. To lead off the game, McFarland reached first base after second baseman Lana Mooney bobbled a grounder and immediately stole second. With one out, Allen laced a hard liner Alamillo’s way, who had it pop in and out of her glove to bring McFarland home.
With Allen standing on second base, Vannelli knocked an RBI single through the middle. With the bases loaded and no one out three batters later, Reinstein came to bat and crushed a grand slam to straightaway center field to put Stony Brook up 6-0 and chase Taylor from the game before she even recorded an out.
Despite the Seawolves’ monster opening inning, the Dragons’ offensive output in the bottom of the first made Stony Brook’s look small in comparison. With Maday in the circle, Alamillo and Reading put together consecutive doubles to start the stanza and get on the board. Garza wasted no time moving the line after that, as she then sliced an RBI single into right-center field to make it 6-2.
Now with the bases loaded and still no outs, Krizan drew a walk to force in a run. During the ensuing at-bats, catcher Kelsie Peters and Mooney each moved everyone from station to station, as they each picked up run-scoring singles to bring the Dragons within a run.
After allowing the first eight batters of the game to reach base, head coach Megan Bryant yanked Maday and turned to Rice, who did not fare any better. The freshman was immediately welcomed into the contest by shortstop Ariana Castillo, who put Drexel on top 7-6 by pulling a two-RBI single into left field.
With one out and Castillo and Mooney on second and third base, respectively, Reading sent a ground ball toward shortstop. McFarland scooped it up and threw it to first base, but first baseman Malorie Hill dropped the ball, allowing both runners to score.
With the bases reloaded a few batters later, Meuninck bounced a ball that went off McFarland’s glove and into the outfield to bring home another run. Immediately after, Krizan delivered an RBI single before Peters brought one more run in on a fielder’s choice to cap off the Dragons’ 12-run first inning.
In the bottom of the second inning, Drexel tacked onto its lead. With the bases filled yet again and one away, Garcia and Demchak hit consecutive RBI groundouts, which were followed by an RBI single by Meuninck to make it 15-6.
Despite being down by nine runs, Stony Brook started to chip away in the top of the third inning. With two runners in scoring position, Hill sent an RBI single up the middle off Toukonen before Ackerman placed a sacrifice fly into right field to cut the deficit to 15-8.
Later in the frame, with runners on the corners and two outs, Allen blooped a single into center field that got past both Alamillo and Reading. With Hill already in, the defensive blunder allowed Costello to score all the way from first base.
Once again, however, Drexel clapped back in the bottom of the frame. Male — who relieved Rice — recorded two quick outs to begin the third but did not leave unscathed. The lefty issued a free pass to Castillo and surrendered a single to Alamillo, paving way for Reading to blast a three-run roundtripper over the left-field fence and extend the Dragons’ advantage to 18-10.
Like clockwork, the Seawolves punched back during the next inning. After Stepski led off the fourth with a double, Reinstein belted a two-run tank to left field with one out, giving the catcher her first career multi-homer game and a new single-game career high with six RBIs for the afternoon.
Following a scoreless fifth inning, Stony Brook continued its uphill climb in the sixth. With Taylor back in the circle, she hit Hill with a pitch before Ackerman sent a longball to right-center field to make it 18-14.
Maday — who also re-entered the game — worked a scoreless bottom of the sixth inning to give the Seawolves a chance to force extras in the seventh, but they narrowly fell short. With the bases loaded and one gone, Scheitinger hammered a pitch to dead center field that Alamillo got to but could not squeeze, as the ball caromed out of her glove as she crashed into the wall. Though the ball nearly bounced over the fence for a game-tying grand slam, it stayed in play and Scheitinger had to settle for a long, two-RBI single.
With runners now on the corners and two outs, Hill chopped a routine grounder toward Castillo, who whiffed on it to score Stepski and give Stony Brook a new lease on life. However, the Seawolves failed to make the Dragons pay for the error. Ackerman popped out to conclude the game, as Taylor earned a 10-out save after initially failing to record an out in the first.
Pitching-wise, it was a wild day for Stony Brook. After giving up eight runs, six hits and two walks without recording an out in the first inning, Maday returned to the circle in the bottom of the third and kept the Seawolves in it. From that point on, the southpaw hurled 3 ⅓ scoreless frames while scattering three hits throughout.
In 1 ⅔ innings, Rice surrendered seven runs (two earned) on seven hits and a walk. In her lone inning of work, Male allowed three runs, two hits and a free pass.
At the dish, it was a big weekend for the Seawolves. Reinstein went 4-for-12 with two home runs, eight RBIs and three runs scored. Scheitinger went 7-for-12 with a pair of doubles, two homers, seven RBIs and six runs.
Costello extended her hitting and on-base streak to 23 and 24 games, respectively, going 7-for-10 with a double, a home run, six RBIs, seven runs and three walks. McFarland went 5-for-12 with a double, five runs, a walk and a steal.
Allen delivered five hits in 12 at-bats with a double, an RBI, three runs, a hit-by-pitch and two stolen bases. Ackerman went 4-for-9 with two doubles, a four-bagger, four runs batted in, three runs, a walk and a steal. Stepski went 4-for-11 with a two-bagger, an RBI, four runs, a walk and a stolen base.
Vannelli went just 2-for-8 but drove in three runs, walked three times, scored four times, was hit once and swiped a bag. Hill went 2-for-7 with two RBIs, a run, a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a steal.
With their regular season officially over, the Seawolves will turn their sights to the 2025 CAA Softball Championship in Buies Creek, N.C. As the fifth seed, Stony Brook will begin the postseason at noon on Wednesday when it will take on the tournament’s host team — the fourth-seeded Campbell Camels. The Camels are 34-18 this season and 19-8 in CAA play. They are coming into the playoffs having dropped a series to Elon this past weekend. With a victory, the Seawolves will advance to take on top-seeded Delaware on Thursday at noon. A defeat would turn Wednesday into a doubleheader for Stony Brook, as it would then play an elimination game against the loser of the Charleston-Hofstra contest at 5 p.m.
