A late-game rally fell just short on Sunday as Stony Brook baseball lost their sixth straight and fourth straight to Alabama, falling 4-3 to the #25 Crimson Tide.
Stony Brook (2-6) was in Tuscaloosa, Ala. for a four-game set with the Crimson Tide (12-1), who completed a sweep for the first time since 1946.
Junior shortstop Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) crossed the plate twice on two hits in Sunday’s loss. Freshman William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) drove in two runs, while senior Robert Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) went 3-for-4 at bat.
Stony Brook outhit the Crimson Tide, 11-9.
The Seawolves went behind early, giving up four runs on three hits in the first.
They got one back in the fourth, as Marshall doubled and was advanced to third when junior Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.) flied out to right field.
Carmona then drove in Marshall with a grounder through the right side for his first RBI of the game.
Freshman Adam Brown (Melville, N.Y.) locked the Tide down after their big first inning, striking out five in his 6 2/3 innings of work.
It was a pitcher’s duel from innings two through eight, with neither team managing to score. Stony Brook went into the eighth trailing 4-1.
The Seawolves loaded the bases with three straight singles from Marshall, Marino and Dyer. An error on a Carmona grounder allowed Marshall to score.
Senior Justin Echevarria (Uniondale, N.Y.) then drove in another run to close the gap to one with a single.
But the Tide took care of business, and a scoreless ninth saw Stony Brook’s comeback end one run short.
It was Alabama’s 14th straight home win.
On Saturday, the Crimson Tide swept a doubleheader with Stony Brook, winning the first game 5-0 and the second 13-6.
In the first half of the doubleheader, sophomore Nick Tropeano (West Islip, N.Y.) allowed four earned runs and struck out seven over seven innings, but Stony Brook couldn’t produce any offense, getting just six hits in a 5-0 loss.
In game two, Alabama jumped out to an early lead courtesy of a three-run second inning.
Stony Brook managed a run back in the third but the Crimson Tide added two more in their half of the inning and went on to a 13-6 victory. Freshman Tanner Nivins (Kitchener, Ontario) contributed three RBIs for the Seawolves.
On Friday, the Seawolves rallied late, scoring five runs in the seventh to tie the score at eight.
But Alabama answered with five runs in their half of the seventh and went on to win, 15-8. Stony Brook’s Nivins was 4-for-5 from the plate with three RBIs and two runs.
Seawolves baseball now heads to South Orange, N.J. for a matchup with Seton Hall at 3 p.m. on Tuesday.
Stony Brook’s home opener is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17 against Iona.