The Stony Brook softball team (2-2) kicked off the season at the Charlotte Classic on Friday, losing the first game to the host, University of North Carolina, Charlotte 49ers (4-4), 5-3, and winning the second against the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (0-4), 8-6.
Freshman Allison Cukrov (0-2) began both the Seawolves’ day and her collegiate career against the 49ers. Her first four innings of play were quiet, but she allowed the 49ers to draw first blood in the fifth as they scored three runs on five hits.
The Seawolves would try to erase that deficit in the bottom of the inning and came close to doing so, scoring two runs. Junior Gina Bianculli led off by smacking a double to left field; she advanced to third base one out later because of a sacrifice bunt. She would score Stony Brook’s first run of the season when senior Alyssa Hawley hit an infield single to third base.
Hawley was not done yet, though, as she subsequently stole second base and was able to cross home plate when senior Suzanne Karath recorded another single.
Despite Stony Brook’s efforts to keep the score close, Charlotte would have none of it. The 49ers made up for the runs that their pitcher, Katie Watkins (1-0), had given up in the previous inning, scoring two of them in the top of the sixth, securing a 5-2 lead. Watkins would manage to finish out the game with eight hits given up and five strikeouts. This would also be Cukrov’s last inning of play. She would finish the day having struck out four and given up eight hits.
Stony Brook would be able to manufacture one more run during the game when freshman Shayla Giosia doubled in Bianculli in the bottom of the sixth.
In contrast to their offensive struggles in the first game, the Seawolves began the second game decisively. They hit three straight singles to open the game, and a fielding error by the Blue Raiders allowed them to score two runs. Then, with only one out to spare, sophomore Nicole Schieferstein lined a single to left field, letting her team score two more runs.
But then it would be Middle Tennessee’s turn to strike back. Sophomore Alexandra Clark (1-0) would manage to get through the first inning unscathed, but she would not be so lucky in the second and third. She allowed four runs overall, tying the score. After recording two outs in the third, she was replaced by sophomore Christine Lucido (1-0). Lucido threw two innings and record another out, allowing the Blue Raiders to score two runs take a temporary lead.
However, Lucido would not leave the mound with Stony Brook looking up in the score. In the fifth and sixth innings, the Seawolves would score another four runs. Sophomore Jessica Combs drove in two of those runs with a line drive to center field in the fifth.
Cukrov was called to pitch for the second time that day and threw the final two innings, picking up her first save of the season and of her career.
Stony Brook would have 11 runs and 19 hits. Karath would have a team-high four of those hits, and senior Bernadette Tenuto and Schieferstein would each add three, as well.
Saturday’s action also featured one defeat and one victory. The Seawolves lost the early game to the University of Kansas Jayhawks (7-2), 2-0, and won the later one against UNC Charlotte, 4-3, avenging the previous day’s defeat.
The first game was a pitcher’s duel, in which both starters threw for the entire game. Cukrov was on the mound for the third time that weekend and struck out eight batters. She would have earned a victory were it not for the performance of her Jayhawks opponent, Alicia Pille, who struck out 11 and allowed only two hits by Combs.
Kansas won all four games of its first two days at the Classic, outscoring its adversaries 24-12 overall.
However, just like Friday, the Seawolves would not end the day empty-handed. They struck first in the second inning when Schieferstein hit a popped up a ball, allowing freshman Lauren Kamachi to score.
For some time, the score remained 1-0, as neither team was able to break another tight game. It would be the 49ers who next put digits on the board when they scored two runs in the bottom of the sixth. They were the only runs that Lucido allowed in her first start, which turned out to be her first victory.
Stony Brook had one half-inning to work with in order to avoid a third loss. With one out, Kamachi hit a single to begin her team’s comeback. Combs, who ended the day with a team-leading 0.417 batting average (5-for-12), would hit a double and move Kamachi to third.
Giosia then stepped up to the plate for what would be the decisive at-bat of the game. She launched the ball over the left-field wall for her first collegiate home run, giving her team a 4-2 advantage.
Cukrov once again pitched to finish out the game. She allowed one run in her second save.
Because of their two victories, the Seawolves secured a matchup against Kansas for the Classic Championship.
However, that game was not meant to be, as it was cancelled due to rain. The Jayhawks were declared champions because they had a better record at the Classic than their would-be opponents, the Seawolves. Kansas won all four of its games, whereas Stony Brook split a double-header on each of the first two days.
The next action for the sotball team will take place at the George Washington Colonial Classic in Washington, D.C., between March 2 and 4.
