Sophomore third baseman Chelsea Evans slammed the ball to deep center left field for a three-run home run in the first game of a doubleheader against Maine on Saturday afternoon. The home run gave the Stony Brook Softball team an early lead in the bottom of the first inning, which the team kept for the rest of the game, eventually defeating Maine 4-0.
Stony Brook head coach Megan Bryant’s team lost the second game 6-2, splitting its doubleheader with Maine. While the Seawolves defense sealed the first win, it could not do the same in the second matchup as the offense struggled to string together hits.
“I liked our effort in game one, we came out and swung the bats well,” Bryant said. “Game two, we gave too many free bases and didn’t do well offensively.”
Senior pitcher Jane Sallen held Maine scoreless over six innings, but had to work herself out of three bases loaded situations in game one. The Seawolves’ stellar defense was there to back Sallen’s pitching up.
In the top of the sixth inning with the bases loaded and one out, Maine sophomore first baseman Kristen Niland blazed a liner to the right of Seawolves junior shortstop Lexie Shue, who snatched it for the second out. Shue then swiftly took care of a ground ball hit by Maine junior Maddie Moore for the third out.
The defense was also there for Stony Brook in the second contest. In the top of the third inning after Maine broke a 2-2 tie with a single, Shue tossed the ball to senior second baseman Patty Bourges, who then threw a cannon to first base to complete the inning-ending double play.
Despite strong performances throughout the day from Evans, Bourges, senior catcher Allie Piscotta and senior left fielder Diane Caruso, Maine junior pitcher Erin Bogdanovich shut out the Seawolves offense after the third inning in game two.
Evans had four runs batted in overall with her homer in the opener of the doubleheader and single in the series finale. Piscotta had two runs batted in overall, produced by a single in the first game and a triple in game two, respectively. Caruso and Bourges had two hits each over the course of the two games. The two runs in game two by Piscotta and Evans were the only runs they were able to gain.
Bogdanovich struck out five Seawolves and held them to five hits.
“Overall, we were frustrated,” Evans said. “We know that we can do better.”
Bryant pointed out what her team struggled with in the darkness-shortened finale.
“We just needed to make adjustments in the second game, which we didn’t do a very good job of,” Bryant said. “We need to do that earlier. We did a good job answering after they scored the first run but we just needed more consistent scoring to get the momentum going for the rest of the game.”
The Seawolves pitcher for Game 2, sophomore Maddy Neales, was named the America East Pitcher of the Week last week but could not stop the Black Bears from scoring. Neales allowed nine hits and four runs.
“Maddy’s having a good year for us, it wasn’t her best game here,” Bryant said. “I thought Maine was a lot more aggressive swinging the bat in Game 2 so give them credit.”
Due to impending snow, the last game of the conference series that was supposed to be held on Sunday morning was cancelled. The next game for the Seawolves will be on Tuesday, April 5 at 2 p.m., when Bryant’s squad will face Fairleigh Dickinson at home.
