Coaches will take a win any way they can get one. But Stony Brook’s Matt Senk was not happy on Wednesday afternoon when umpires decided to call their matchup with Sacred Heart after 6.5 innings.
“There’s never enough at bats,” he said. “It’s about playing as much as possible.”
They got what they needed early though, as the Seawolves put up a seven-spot on Sacred Heart starter Connor Landers in the bottom of the first, and held on for an 8-4 win at a rainy Joe Nathan Field.
“I’m pleased with the fact that we ended up winning, but we’re early in the year and trying to figure some things out,” Senk said.
Stony Brook starter Tim Knesnik allowed only one baserunner in the top half of the first, who was promptly picked off by catcher Cole Peragine on a 1-2 pitchout.
Knesnik was chased from the mound in the top of the second inning, when he allowed three of the first four batters to reach base. Even on a day which he was supposed to only go a couple innings, it was still an early exit for the junior.
“We were going to try and get him through two innings then get him out, but it did not work out that way,” Senk said. There was also a problem with Knesnik’s back going into the matchup, so extra caution was taken in taking him out.
The offense gave him all the runs he would need though, as Johnny Caputo, Casey Baker and Toby Handley would crank out two-run hits in the bottom of the first. Jack Parenty drove in the first run of the game with a single after the first two batters reached base, and the onslaught was just getting started.
Only one batter, ironically the designated hitter Malcolm Nachmanoff, did not reach base for the Seawolves, as 19 of the 35 total at bats resulted in somebody reaching base.
Both Peragine and Handley were perfect reaching base on the day, going 4-for-4 in that aspect but only totalling 3-for-3 in the box score. Each player drew two walks, with Handley also getting hit by a pitch.
Sacred Heart was able to cut the lead to 7-3, with three Pioneers players getting base hits in three different ways. Dan Shock ripped an RBI single to left-center, scoring Keith Klebart. Jesus Medina then got hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Alex Perry drew a walk with the bases juiced.
Zack Short cut the Seawolves lead to 7-4 in the fifth when he drilled a 1-1 pitch from Edwin Corniel over the left-field fence, but Stony Brook answered in the bottom half of the inning with a run of their own. Andruw Gazzola was able to draw a bases-loaded walk, scoring Peragine to make it 8-4.
The umpires got together after this inning to debate calling the matchup, but that motion was denied. They got their say an inning and a half later and cancelled it, much to the dismay of both Senk and Sacred Heart manager Nick Giaquinto.
“I’ve been doing this a long time, and you think you see it all, but that’s one I haven’t seen before,” Senk said.
Stony Brook will take on the UMass-Lowell River Hawks in a three-game series this weekend at a hopefully drier Joe Nathan Field, with a doubleheader Saturday. The River Hawks took a pair from Stony Brook in their three-game set last season in Lowell, Massachusetts.
