Seven different members of the Stony Brook baseball team had base-hits in a 9-2 win over Marist at McCann Baseball field. Sophomore second baseman Brandon Janofsky led the way with three hits, two RBIs and a stolen base.
Janofsky had two singles to right field, giving him a game-high two RBIs. The hot-swinging sophomore is batting .395 in his last 11 games. The Seawolves went on to defeat the Red Foxes, extending their winning streak to eight games. The team improved its overall record to 16-14.
Stony Brook had already scored four runs through the first four innings, but they truly ran away in the top of the fifth. Janofsky hit the ball up the middle of the infield only to have Marist second baseman Randy Taveras commit an error, allowing the first of four runs to cross the plate in the inning.
Marist fell prey to another costly error in the following at-bat when senior first baseman Casey Baker drove a ball to left field. The error unloaded the bases, giving his team an 8-1 lead. In addition, senior center fielder Toby Handley had three hits in the game as he continues to swing a hot bat. It was his third three-hit performance game in his last six games.
The Seawolves’ offense was able to rattle Marist freshman starting pitcher Connor McNamara. McNamara only lasted 2.1 innings before being removed from the game.
Stony Brook’s run support seemed to help junior starting pitcher Kevin Kernan relax on the mound and pitch effectively. The junior allowed just one run and five hits in five innings of work. He earned the win to improve his win-loss record to 3-0 in addition to lowering his earned run average to 3.98. The left-hander is the fifth Stony Brook starting pitcher to throw five or more innings in the last two weeks, demonstrating the depth of the team’s starting pitching.
The Seawolves’ large lead gave players who do not normally see playing time an opportunity to get reps in. Sophomore catcher Sean Buckhout made the most of his substitution, getting a hit in his lone plate appearance of the afternoon extending his hitting streak to six.
Stony Brook, who currently leads the America East standings, returns to action for a weekend match up on the road against UMass Lowell. The River Hawks are currently ranked second in the America East behind the Seawolves. The first game of the series begins at 12 p.m. on Saturday.
