Stony Brook Baseball swept Sacred Heart in a four-game series this weekend, playing the first three games at Stony Brook and the final game at Sacred Heart. With the sweep, the Seawolves extend their winning streak to seven games.

Game 1: Stony Brook 9 – Sacred Heart 3

Freshman starting pitcher Sam Turcotte returned to his role as a starting pitcher to open the series against the Pioneers after not being called on to start a game the previous weekend. The hard-throwing right-hander racked up a season-high nine strikeouts in six and two-third innings pitched to lead the Seawolves to a 9-3 win at Joe Nathan Field on Friday.

“I just took advantage of [the start],” Turcotte said. “I worked on staying down in the zone and I think it really helped this week.”

His nine strikeouts on Friday were the most by a Seawolf in a single game this season. But more importantly, he only walked two batters. Turcotte has had command issues this season despite striking batters out at a high rate; he has walked 24 batters in 31 innings pitched this season.

Turcotte was tagged for just three runs in the game, giving his lineup plenty of breathing room to build a lead.

The Seawolves already had a 3-0 lead when senior center fielder Toby Handley hit a RBI triple down the right field line. The senior also added an RBI double in the fifth inning. Junior third baseman Bobby Honeyman had two hits and two RBI’s in the game.

Sacred Heart scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to cut Stony Brook’s lead to 7-3. However, Handley drove in his third run of the game and sophomore second baseman Brandon Janofsky had a sacrifice fly to bring the game to its final score of 9-3.

Game 2: Stony Brook 11 – Sacred Heart 5

Sophomore outfielder Dylan Resk was in a different zone for the entirety of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Pioneers. He had two home runs and three RBI in first game to help lead his the Seawolves to an 11-5 victory.

Head coach Matt Senk got to the athletics facility around 8:05 a.m. Saturday morning, but he was not the first one there.

“I was in early today and I heard someone in the hitting facility. Dylan was in there doing some extra hitting,” Senk said. “He put the extra work in this morning and today’s performance was the result.”

Resk hit a two-run home run over the left field wall in the fourth inning to tie the game at three. His second homerun was an opposite-field homerun to right, giving him a team-high six home runs. He is now in a three-way tie for the most home runs in the America East.

“I am not necessarily looking to hit for power,” Resk said. “I was definitely just trying to get good contact on the ball the whole [game].”

Resk’s performance helped overshadow freshman starting pitcher Brian Herrmann’s worst start of the season. He allowed a season-high 10 hits and five earned runs before junior Teddy Rodliff relieved him in the fifth inning. His earned run average dipped to 3.10 following the performance.

Senior shortstop Jeremy Giles hit a two-run double in the fifth inning to start a five-run inning to pull away. Rodliff filled in to pitch the final 2.2 innings of the game, allowing no runs and striking out two batters en route to earning the win.

Game 3: Stony Brook 6 – Sacred Heart 5

Despite already hitting two home runs earlier in the day, Resk was saving his most memorable moment for the final play of the day. He capped off an eventful doubleheader by hitting a game-winning RBI single to left field.

“It definitely felt good,” Resk said after the game. “I just shortened up at the plate and put a good swing on a slider.”

Resk had six total hits on Saturday, including a season-high four hits in the second game. His final swing ended the game in the bottom of the ninth inning at a score of 6-5 to complete the doubleheader sweep of the Pioneers.  

“It’s one of the greatest things to get six hits in two games,” Resk said. “Especially when the whole team there to back you up. Everyone was hitting and everyone was contributing.”

The Seawolves entered the bottom of the fourth inning trailing 4-0. Sophomore catcher Sean Buckhout hit a bases-clearing three-run double to right-center field to cut the Pioneers lead down to one.

Senior first baseman Casey Baker helped his team take a 5-4 lead with a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his third of the season. Baker reached base in all five plate appearances, racking up two hits and drawing three walks.

Stony Brook could have ended the game earlier if junior closer Aaron Pinto did not throw a wild pitch in the sixth inning, allowing a Sacred Heart base runner to cross home plate and tie the game.

Luckily for the Seawolves, Resk was hitting nearly everything he saw at the plate on Saturday. He had no problem coming up in the clutch once again.

Game 4: Stony Brook 11 – Sacred Heart 5

Sophomore starting pitcher Bret Clarke entered Sunday’s game with a 9.74 ERA, the highest among Stony Brook pitchers who have made a start this season. But Clarke appeared to have put his rough start to the season in his rearview mirror, allowing no earned runs and striking out a season-high nine batters in six innings on the mound.

The Seawolves lineup backed up Clarke’s pitching performance, helping him earn his first win of the season, as his team went on to defeat Sacred Heart 11-5. Clarke’s win-loss record stands at 1-3 on the season and his ERA dipped to 8.45.

Freshman designated hitter Michael Wilson scored the team’s first run in the top of the second inning on a sacrifice fly. He came up to the plate to add a two-run single. The freshman finished with a game-high three RBI and also scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.

Resk hit a two-run home run in the top of the fifth inning, his third of the weekend, to give his team a 10-3 lead. Resk is now tied with UMass Lowell’s Chris Sharpe and Hartford’s Erik Ostberg for the America East lead in home run.  

Stony Brook next game will be played at Marist on Tuesday at 3:30p.m..