The Stony Brook softball team traveled to Riverside, California over the weekend to face off against Brown, UC Riverside and Saint Mary’s College in the UC Riverside Highlander Classic, which saw the team gain two victories in five games.
Stony Brook’s final game of the invitational did not go the way the team had wanted. The Seawolves were held to one run and five hits in a 7-1 loss to Saint Mary’s College.
The Gaels rebounded from their prior game against the Seawolves with a much better offensive outing. Freshmen dominated much of the game for the Gaels, including freshman infielder Julia McCormack and freshman outfielder Kimiko Zapanta. Zapanta finished the game 3-3 and scored three times while McCormack finished 2-3 and led the team with 3 RBI.
“Our efforts and energy were not what we needed them to be today,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said in a press release following the game. “Saint Mary’s came right at us from the start, and we did not respond. It’s back to work this week to get ready for the FAU tournament.”
Stony Brook got on the board first in its matchup against UC Riverside when sophomore pitcher Melissa Rahrich scored off a ground ball from junior catcher Irene Rivera. The Highlanders countered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning, one coming off an RBI double from junior infielder Brittney Garcia.
Action picked up in the bottom of the fifth, when senior outfielder Jenna Curtan doubled to centerfield. Curtan scored on a single after advancing to third on a bunt to put the Highlanders up 3-1 and knock sophomore starter Taylor Pechin out of the game. Sophomore infielder Emma Ramelot’s sacrifice fly gave UC Riverside a 4-1 lead, which the team held on to for the victory.
The Seawolves rebounded from the routing with a dominant victory over Brown on Saturday. The team woke up from their offensive slump and jumped to a 3-0 lead in the top of the third following sophomore infielder Riley Craig’s two-run double. She led the team offensively, going 4-4 with two doubles and one RBI.
The Bears responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning, cutting the Seawolves’ lead to two, but it was the closest the team came to tying the game. Stony Brook kept Brown in check in the circle after using three pitchers in its last outing. Rahrich commanded the game in the circle, only allowing one run and four hits in the 5-1 victory.
Stony Brook struggled in its first matchup against Brown. The Bears overpowered their opponents from the start, scoring three runs in the first inning.
Stony Brook’s most opportune time to score came in the bottom of the second inning. Craig and freshman infielder Nicole McCarvill drew back-to-back walks while sophomore infielder Allyssa Malony singled to load the bases. The team managed to bring home one run, following a walk to junior outfielder Katelyn Corr, cutting the deficit to 3-1.
The two-run deficit was the closest the Seawolves came as the Bears offense dominated the rest of the game. Led by junior pitcher Meghan Wimmer and junior outfielder Ashli Lotz, the Bears offense cranked out eight runs en route to a 10-2 victory. Wimmer finished the game 3-3 with two RBI while Lotz finished with three RBI and her first career home run in the top of the fifth.
The Seawolves retained the momentum from their prior victory against Saint Mary’s. The team started off hot in the top of the second inning, loading the bases with two consecutive singles and a hit by pitch. Sophomore outfielder Jourdin Hering scored two of the four runs in the inning with an RBI double to left field.
Saint Mary’s loaded the bases after two consecutive singles and a walk in the bottom of the third. The team managed to cut the deficit to 4-2 but was unable to produce any more runs. Rahrich regained her composure and forced a ground out to leave the runners stranded.
Stony Brook countered Saint Mary’s with two runs of its own in the top of the fifth. Pechin launched a home run over the right field fence following a walk to Rivera to take a 6-2 lead. After hitting an RBI single in the top of the seventh, Rahrich went on to complete the game for the 7-2 Seawolves victory.
Stony Brook will be back in action on Friday, March 9 in the Florida Atlantic Parents Weekend Tournament in Boca Raton, Florida, where the team will play Michigan, Rutgers, UTEP, Pittsburgh and Florida A&M.
