May 23, 2002

Final Stats

Rich Graham was 4-for-5 with a home run and four RBI to help lead No. 4 Stony Brook to a 16-4 win over No. 1 Maine in the first round of the America East Baseball Championship at Mahaney Diamond. The Seawolves, 27-22, advance to the winner's bracket of the double-elimination tournament and will play No. 3 Northeastern, a 5-1 winner over No. 2 Vermont, Friday at 3 p.m. The Black Bears, 36-15, and Catamounts meet in an elimination game at 12 noon.

The Seawolves, who had 17 hits, scored in each of the first five innings to build a 12-0 lead. Graham, who singled to lead off the game, scored on a single by Rob Sandora for a 1-0 advantage. Stony Brook added a run in the second inning on a sacrifice fly then scored two runs in the third on a double by Sandora. The Seawolves made it 6-0 in the fourth inning on Graham's two run single.

The Seawolves, who are playing their first season in America East, chased Maine starter Mike Collar (8-3) in the fifth inning when they scored six runs. Collar, who entered the game with a 2.88 earned run average, allowed nine runs on nine hits in four-plus innings. Ed Kull and Graham had RBI singles in the fifth.

America East Rookie of the Year Jon Lewis (9-3) picked up the win allowing four runs on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks in eight innings. The right-hander held the Black Bears scoreless until the bottom of the fifth inning when Aaron Young delivered a sacrifice fly to score Mark Reichley, who had led off with a walk. Alain Picard's fielders choice plated another run.

Mark Taormina and Graham had solo home runs in the eighth inning for the Seawolves, who scored in eight of nine innings.