The Stony Brook University softball team had a successful week over spring break as it won two of three games against non-conference opponents.
The first win of the week was a 7-0 shutout against the Long Island University Blackbirds on Tuesday afternoon, Stony Brook’s sixth win in a row at home. The Seawolves then split a Thursday doubleheader against Manhattan College on Thursday, the first game resulting in a perfect game victory for freshman pitcher Allison Cukrov (13-4), who pitched her ninth and tenth shutouts of the season this week.
Up through the first game on Thursday, the Seawolves had 12 of its last 15 games.
Everything went right for Stony Brook in the first game of Thursday’s trip to the city, a 9-0 victory.
The game remained a tight contest early on; neither team scored a run in the first three innings. Cukrov threw 12 strikeouts overall, tying a career high. It is her ninth straight victory. She has only allowed six runs in her last 10 appearances, sporting an earned-run-average (ERA) of 0.70 during that stretch.
Her perfect game that day was also her second outing where she allowed no hits to her opponent this season. The first no-hitter came on March 17 against the College of the Holy Cross.
Then the Seawolves put up five runs in the fourth inning, starting with a run-batted-in (RBI) single from senior infielder Lauren Maloney. Freshman outfielder Shayla Giosia then brought in another three runs with a double and got a helping hand from Manhattan’s center fielder, who committed a throwing error. Giosia would later score the last run of the inning as the result of a bunt single from sophomore infielder Jessica Combs.
The Seawolves tacked on the last four runs of the game in the fifth inning. Senior outfielder Suzanne Karath and Maloney each hit a single that would bring in a run. Giosia then polished off the scoring with a two-run double. The score remained 9-0 for the rest of the game.
Manahattan, however, would have the last laugh of the day. The Jaspers kept the Seawolves scoreless through six innings while scoring five runs themselves.
In the seventh, Combs hit a double with one out to begin what almost amounted to a Stony Brook comeback. Sophomore infielder Nicole Hagerty hit a subsequent double to score Stony Brook’s first run. Redshirt freshman outfielder Nicole Hoyle then got her first hit, allowing Hagerty to score another run. However, that would be it for Stony Brook. Manhattan would take at least one victory for the day.
Earlier in the week, Stony Brook defeated the Long Island University on Tuesday afternoon, 7-0.
Cukrov was also the starter for Tuesday’s game.
Cukrov was also supported by her teammates on offense, as well. Stony Brook’s hiters in the first through fourth spots in the lineup went 10-for-16 at the plate, and there were Seawolves on base every inning.
Stony Brook scored the first runs in the third inning when senior outfielder Suzanne Karath came home on a single from senior infielder Bernadette Tenuto.
There was an error on the same play, which allowed to score as well. The Seawolves led 2-0 at the end of the inning.
The most damage came in the fourth inning when the host team added on an additional four runs. The Seawolves made four hits and got eight players on base. Maloney brought in the first run of the inning when she hit a ball long enough to allow freshman designated hitter Lauren Kamachi to score.
Giosia then hit a double to center field, scoring another two runs for Stony Brook.
She would later come home to be Stony Brook’s last run for the inning when Tenuto hit a double herself. The Seawolves led the Blackbirds by six at the end of the inning.
Maloney and Tenuto both doubled in the sixth inning again, and the former would score on Tenuto’s third hit of the game. Stony Brook’s seventh run would also be Tenuto’s third run-batted-in (RBI) of the game.
Stony Brook will next play a doubleheader at home on Monday against Rider University, the first game starting at 2 p.m.