Relying on three very solid outings from their starting pitching and the hot bat of freshman Michael Stephan, the Seawolves took two of three from the Nicholls St. Colonels. In the first game on Saturday afternoon, SBU was once again able to jump out to an early lead.
They scored three runs in the first inning off of Nicholls starter Michael Bartek. The Seawolves’ first two runs came after Robert Leonard hit a sacrifice fly that was dropped by center fielder Ryan Bledsoe. Both Chris Sipp and Michael Stephan scored on the play. Leonard than moved up to third base as Michael Tansey scored on a wild pitch. Leonard finally came around on an RBI groundout by Steve Mazzurco. After Nicholls scored a run in the bottom of the first, SBU put three more runs on the board in the fourth with consecutive RBI singles by Justin Echevarria, Sipp, and Brian Witkowski.
The game got much closer in the seventh after Nicholls scored three runs and knocked out SBU starter Tom Koehler. Koehler gave up ten hits and six runs, only three of which were earned, as he pitched into the seventh. He walked only one batter and struck out four. After Koehler was lifted for Jonathan Kalkau, Kalkau gave up a two out RBI double to Brandt Boudreaux. But the inning ended when Boudreaux was caught attempting to steal third. SBU added an insurance run in the ninth when Stephan hit his first career home run.
Stephan finished 2-3 with two runs scored, while also reaching base twice on walks. Kalkau then pitched a perfect ninth to get his first save of the season. In the second game of the double header, SBU wasted a great performance by Mike Errigo and lost 3-2 in 11 innings.
The Seawolves once again jumped out to an early lead, as they picked up a run in the second inning off of an RBI single by Chris Cruz. Cruz had three hits in the game of five at bats. The score doubled to 2-0 in the eighth when Mazzurco singled in Stephan. Stephan had reached on a single through the left side and was sacrificed over to second on a bunt by Tansey.
The Seawolves managed no more runs in the game, even though they compiled 13 hits, including three by Stephan. After Nicholls St. led off the bottom of the ninth with back to back singles, Errigo struck out Boudreaux to get the first out of the inning. Walter Jones than hit an RBI double. While the lead runner on the play scored from second base, Shane Barksdale was cut down at the plate on a relay from the left fielder Mazzurco to shortstop Keith Fier, who threw home in time to get the runner at the plate.
Robert Leonard than took over for Errigo, who finished with 8 plus innings, and allowed only two runs on six hits while striking out seven. Nicholls St. managed to get the tying run across without a hit, as Leonard hit the next two batters and then allowed the run to score on a wild pitch. He was finally able to get a strike out to get the game into extra innings. There were no more hits until Boudreaux led off the bottom of the eleventh with a single. He advance to second after an error by the pitcher Leonard, and then scored on an error by second baseman Chris Sipp.
The Seawolves put the tough loss behind them and came out on Sunday and won by a score of 7-3. The Seawolves were up 7-0 after their half of the sixth inning. Nicholls St. managed only one run off of SBU starter Kurt Jung, who allowed three hits and walked four while striking out two in the game. Witkowski was involved in both of SBU’s first two runs, scoring the first after leading off the game with a single and driving in the second when he beat out a groundball for an infield single. He finished the game 2-2 with two RBI’s and a run scored. He walked in his other plate appearance.
SBU put the game away in the fifth inning when they scored three runs on two hits. Nicholls St. committed three errors in the inning, including two on freshman shortstop Keith Kulbeth. Senior Matt Lyons pitched the final two innings for SBU. Except for a leadoff walk, which was followed by a pinch hit home run, Lyons did not allow a base runner and struck out 2 Colonels.
SBU continued their week on Mar. 14 when they traveled to South Orange, NJ to take on the Seton Hall Pirates. This game was a pitchers duel. Both starters lasted into the seventh inning. SBU starter Gary Novakowski was able to get two outs in the seventh before being relieved. He allowed only five hits and three walks. Equally as impressive was Seton Hall starter Keith Cantwell, who held the Seawolves to two hits over seven innings. He did not walk a single batter and struck out three.
The Seawolves were still without a hit in the seventh inning when Cantwell hit the first two batters of the inning. With Tansey and Stephan at first and second respectively, Robert Leonard beat out a bunt for a single to load the bases. Mazzurco followed that up with a single of his own to center field, scoring Stephan. But Tansey was caught off third base and tagged out for the first out of the inning on the play. Chris Cruz then hit a line driver that was snared by Cantwell, who threw to second to double off Leonard to end the inning.
Seton Hall came right back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Bobby Dombrowski. The Seawolves scored the runs that would provide the final margin in the eighth inning. Fier and Echevarria had led off with back to back singles when they were sacrificed over by Witkowski. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, and Echevarria than scored the third run on a sacrifice fly by Sipp.
Jonathan Kalkau, who allowed only one hit and struck out three over two plus innings picked up the win for the Seawolves, who moved to 3-7 on the year. SBU’s home opener has been postponed as all four games this weekend will now be played at La Salle on the weekend on Mar. 17 and Mar. 18.
