The Stony Brook softball team kicked off its 2015 season this past weekend in the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament. The team saw mixed results in their opening weekend, as the Seawolves picked up wins in two out of their five games.
The season opener was a rough outing for Stony Brook, as the team fell 8-1 to Oakland. Senior Shayla Giosia solo home run in the fourth inning would be the lone offensive bright spot in the game for SBU.
The Golden Grizzlies had a pair of big innings, scoring four runs in both the third and sixth inning. Junior Jane Sallen gave up eight runs on eight hits, as she picked up the loss in her first start of 2015.
The second game was noticeably better for Stony Brook. Up against Bethune-Cookman, the Seawolves were able to rally with two outs in the bottom of the seventh to even the score and send the game to extra innings.
The Seawolves won the game 3-2, thanks to a walk-off RBI double by Patty Borges in the ninth. Freshman Maddy Neales pitched 3.2 innings for Stony Brook, giving up two runs on four hits, walking three and striking out two. Sallen came in for relief and pitched 5.1 innings with only one hit and four strikeouts.
Day two of the tournament would be another split for the Seawolves. Stony Brook took on Purdue in the first game on Saturday.
The Seawolves jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run RBI single off the bat of Giosia, but the lead would not stand as they allowed Purdue to comeback and tie the game.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Seawolves took the lead once again, this time off the bat of Bria Green. Green knocked Giosia home with the game-winning single.
Sallen got the win for Stony Brook, in the team’s 3-2 victory. She went seven innings and allowing only two runs on eight hits. Stony Brook’s record fell to 2-2 after a 9-6 loss in the fourth game of the tournament against Oakland for the second time.
The Seawolves quickly fell behind, 4-0, after the first inning after the Golden Grizzlies played a lot of small ball.
Stony Brook tied the game in the top of the fifth after an RBI double by junior Melissa Phelan and a two-run home run off the bat of Green.
The Seawolves took a one-run lead in the top of the sixth, but the Golden Grizzlies plated four in the bottom of the sixth, making the score 9-6.
SBU finished the tournament 2-3 after a five-inning, 10-2 loss to Florida Gulf Coast.
Stony Brook has more baseball in the Sunshine State ahead of them. Next weekend they will head to Jacksonville to participate in the North Florida Tournament.
