Junior pitcher Dawn Bodrug received little help from her offense last Sunday, as she lost a heartbreaking game by only giving up one run over 7.1 innings. The Stony Brook softball team managed to get just two hits the whole game.
Five days later, however, the script was completely flipped. Facing the Iona Gaels in the first game of a four-game weekend at the Towson DeMarini Tiger Clash, the offense provided plenty of help as the Seawolves got a commanding 5-0 win, snapping a 3-game losing streak.
After finishing last weekend’s 5-game series with just three hits in their final two games, the Seawolves didn’t hesitate to come roaring back to life against the Gaels. At the bottom of the first inning, the bases were loaded on three walks before sophomore infielder Lindsey Osmer hit a 2-out RBI single back to the pitcher to give Stony Brook an early 1-0 lead.
In the next inning, senior outfielder Jourdin Hering hit an RBI triple to score freshman outfielder Shauna Nuss and make it 2-0. Iona’s starting pitcher, graduate student Courtney Blasko, got out of the inning after surrendering that run, but she was replaced by sophomore pitcher Kara Zazzaro.
Stony Brook’s bats were quiet in the third inning before coming back and scoring a run in each of the following three innings. Sophomore infielder Taylor Juenke walked to lead off the bottom of the fourth, advancing all the way to third on an error and wild pitch. With runners in scoring position, Hering got her second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly.
Like Hering, Osmer also got her second RBI of the game on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fifth inning. Senior infielder Riley Craig scored the run after starting the inning with a double. To finish the scoring and give the Seawolves a comfortable 5-0 lead, Hering scored her second run of the day on a wild pitch. She finished the game with two RBIs, two runs and two walks. Zazzaro, who came on in relief for Iona, pitched the final four innings while giving up three runs, two of which were earned.
Bodrug continued her run of dominance with a 1-hit complete game shutout, punching out the first 11 batters and finishing the game with 18 strikeouts. It was her fifth complete game of the season and she now has the most strikeouts in all of the America East Conference. After this stellar performance, she improved her record to 4-2.
The Gaels had a chance for revenge against the Seawolves, but that bid fell short on Saturday, March 7 as Stony Brook defeated them again soundly, by a score of 7-1. The tournament will conclude on Sunday, March 8 with a pair of matches against La Salle and Towson beginning at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
