Coming off back-to-back fruitless weekends in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play, the Stony Brook baseball team was swept once again.
Looking for a last-ditch playoff push, the Seawolves (22-27, 8-16 CAA) hit the road to take on the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Seahawks (29-22, 16-8). Living up to the team’s aquatic nicknames, rain in the forecast led to changes to the weekend schedule. UNCW took the opener on Friday 10-0 and won by way of the run rule before sweeping a twin-bill on Saturday with a pair of 7-3 wins.
After the sweep, Stony Brook was officially mathematically eliminated from playoff contention with just one weekend to play. The Seawolves sit just one game above Hofstra for last place in the 12-team CAA, and have lost 11 of their last 12 games.
Following three and a half scoreless innings exchanged by starters Eddie Smink and Zane Taylor, the Seahawks broke through offensively in the bottom of the fourth inning on Friday. Two hit batsmen and an error loaded the bases for UNCW shortstop Kevin Jones, who cashed in a pair with a single. Two batters later, second baseman Aidan Evans scampered home on a throwing error by catcher Luke Szepek before UNCW center fielder Mac Gillespie drilled a single into left field, plating the fourth Seahawks run of the inning.
An inning later, UNCW blew the game open. With two on and two out, Evans hit his first home run of the season — a three-run shot to extend the lead to 7-0.
For the Seahawks, Taylor cruised through seven innings, striking out 10 batters while scattering three hits and a walk.
In the bottom of the seventh, UNCW ended the game with a three-spot in the seventh on a bases loaded walk, sacrifice fly and game-ending single.
Smink’s difficult junior season continued, as he went just 4 ⅔ innings while yielding seven runs (five earned) on seven hits and three walks.
On Saturday, the Seahawks got off to a fast start against starting pitcher John Rizzo, as left fielder Brock Willis blasted a leadoff home run. However, Rizzo locked in from there, throwing zeros in each of the next five innings.
Behind 1-0, Stony Brook tied the game in the top of the fifth, as left fielder Matthew Jackson singled through the middle to plate shortstop Matt Miceli.
In the sixth, third baseman Nico Azpilcueta singled to start the inning against UNCW reliever Trace Baker. Left fielder Cam Santerre then doubled into the right-field corner in his first at bat off the bench, sending Azpilcueta to third. With one out, catcher Nicholas Solorzano brought home the go-ahead run with a groundout, putting Stony Brook up 2-1.
The lead would last just one inning, as Rizzo faltered in the home half of the seventh. After retiring the leadoff batter, Rizzo allowed a game-tying solo homer to Jones. He then issued a walk and allowed a single to the ensuing two batters, ending his day. Head coach Matt Senk turned to his bullpen, calling on reliever Jacob Pedersen.
Pedersen only furthered the problem, allowing consecutive run-scoring hits before striking a wild pitch to score the fourth Seahawk run of the inning. Already ahead 5-2, UNCW third baseman Trevor Lucas lofted a sacrifice fly to add another; catcher Brian Arendt then dumped a single to right field to finish the scoring spree.
In total, Rizzo lasted 6 ⅓ innings but was responsible for four runs. He allowed five hits and walked a batter, but struck out four.
After getting a pair of outs in the eighth, Baker gave way to relief pitcher Baker Cox, who allowed a run in his 1 ⅓ innings of work and got Miceli to ground out to his counterpart, ending the game in a 7-3 UNCW victory.
In the nightcap on Saturday, Stony Brook drew first blood, scoring twice in the third inning against UNCW starter Cam Bagwell. With one out and designated hitter James Schaffer at third base, Azpilcueta lifted a sacrifice fly to left. Immediately after, Jackson — who had been dropped from the leadoff spot to cleanup — displayed the power by launching a no-doubt, home run to right field.
Starting pitcher Nicholas Rizzo immediately coughed up the lead, as Lucas doubled home the first Seahawk run of the game. UNCW first baseman Tanner Thatch then lined a single to center, scoring Lucas and knotted the score at two runs apiece.
Jones gave the Seahawks the lead in the fourth, as he drilled a one-out home run to left field. In the fifth, Schaffer singled to lead off the frame and quickly scored on a double by first baseman Erik Paulsen. After Bagwell got the first out of the inning on a groundout by Azpilcueta, UNCW head coach Randy Hood pulled him in favor of reliever Cyle Phelan. Phelan worked out of the jam, getting Jackson looking at strike three before inducing a ground ball from catcher Scott Gell.
Despite tying the game, the floodgates opened on Stony Brook in the bottom of the fifth. With the rain picking up throughout the game, Rizzo walked a pair but recorded two outs. However, he was unable to get out of the jam, as Arendt pulled a double over the third-base bag to bring home the go-ahead run. This prompted Senk to yank Rizzo, bringing in reliever Matthew Canizares.
While Canizares was warming up, the umpires sent the game into a rain delay. When play finally resumed over three hours later, Evans promptly banged a ball back up the middle to score two more and make the score 6-3 Seahawks.
While UNCW added a run in the seventh, the story from then on was the Seahawks’ bullpen. Relief pitcher Aubrey Smith entered in the sixth and pitched 2 ⅔ scoreless before walking a pair in the eighth. After reliever Porter Braddy bailed him out of the jam, relief pitcher Cooper Allen slammed the door, clinching a series sweep for UNCW with a 7-3 win.
Stony Brook’s defensive lapses continued, as it committed four errors throughout the three game set. Its offense fell flat as well, scoring just six runs in three games despite 20 hits as a team.
Jackson had arguably the best weekend of any Seawolf, going 4-for-10 with a home run and two runs batted in (RBI). He also walked, scored a run and stole a base. Paulsen also had four hits in 10 trips, tallying a double and a pair of RBIs. After the weekend, his .352 batting average ranks 9th in the CAA.
While receiving little playing time in recent weeks, Santerre went 2-for-7 with a double. Schaffer went 3-for-4 between two games, scoring twice, stealing a base and driving in a run.
Azpilcueta went just 2-for-11 and did not homer for the first time in any weekend since conference play began on March 21.
Second baseman Johnny Pilla had a hit in all three games, going 3-for-10 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. Gell had two hits in the series.
Having been eliminated from potential playoff contention, the Seawolves will head home for one final series in the 2025 season. They will host the Monmouth Hawks at Joe Nathan Field starting Thursday, with the series proving to be a final sendoff for long-time head coach Matt Senk, who announced his retirement on Thursday. Monmouth has gone 24-27 overall this season and 10-14 in CAA play. The Hawks’ playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread, after they took two out of three from Delaware this past weekend. First pitch on Thursday is set for 2 p.m.
