May 3, 2002

ON DECK: Stony Brook (22-26 overall, 7-13 America East) faces Vermont in its final regular season doubleheaders of the season this weekend. The sixth-place Seawolves still have an outside shot of making the America East Conference Tournament. However, it won't be easy as Stony Brook needs to sweep Vermont, have Albany sweep Hartford and have either Maine sweep Binghamton or Binghamton sweep Maine to get in.

SERIES HISTORY: The teams have met only once, with the Seawolves capturing a 4-0 victory last season over the Catamounts.

ABOUT THE CATAMOUNTS: Vermont (5-33, 3-17 America East) was swept by Siena in a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, losing both games by by a score of 3-1. The Catamounts have now dropped 13 straight on the year. Megan Long leads UVM with a .278 average and 13 RBI. Angie Totaro and Kara Massey have split time on the mound. Totaro has an ERA of 3.55 and a record of 4-14, while Massey is 1-16 (3.85 ERA).

LAST TIME OUT: Hofstra's Amanda Hallaway hit an RBI single with one out in the bottom of the seventh inning as the Pride rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Stony Brook 3-2 on Tuesday afternoon at Hofstra Softball Stadium. The second game of the scheduled doubleheader was cancelled due to rain. Trailing 2-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, the Pride scored the tying run when Heather Brousseau came all the way around to score from second base on a wild pitch from Stony Brook starter Stephanie Poetzsch. Hallaway then followed with a line drive single to left to drive in the winning run, as Meaghan Almon scored to give Hofstra its seventh straight win and 11th in its last 12 games. Hofstra took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Poetzsch gave up a walk with the bases-loaded. But the Seawolves rallied to take the lead in the sixth with four straight hits. Stephanie DiBiase started the rally with a single, and Colleen McCarthy followed with a single as well to put runners on first and second. Kristen Brust then followed with an RBI single to right-center field, but was thrown out trying to advance to second on the relay throw. Shea Carpenter then doubled to the wall in right-center to score McCarthy with the go-ahead run. Poetzsch struck out four and walked three for the Seawolves in a losing effort.

AN EYE ON THE AMERICA EAST: The top four teams in the America East Conference standings after the regular season advance to the conference tournament, May 9-11 at the University of Vermont. Boston University, which has a strong hold on first place with a 19-3 record, has already clinched a tournament berth.

MAKING THEIR MARK IN HISTORY: After recording the most wins in a season in Stony Brook softball history last season, Megan Bryant eclipsed the total of 21 wins in her second year at the helm for a new record-best. The Seawolves earned their 22nd win with a 3-1 victory over Maine on Monday. Stony Brook won 21 games last year, the most W's in 10 years. Stony Brook was 14-10 in 1991.

BALANCED BATS: Stony Brook's six hits against Hofstra on Tuesday came from six different batters--Stephanie DiBiase, Colleen McCarthy, Kristen Brust, Shea Carpenter, Jen Milito and Marissa Servello. The six hits were the most for the Seawolves since they hammered 12 against Marist on April 21.

DEEBS GETS IT DONE: Freshman Stephanie DiBiase has been one of the Seawolves' most consistent players this season, both at the plate and in the outfield. She has hit safely in the Seawolves' last four games and 11 of the last 13 outings. Her best performance came in a 3-1 victory over Maine, when she was 3-for-4 at the plate, including a double and a homerun. She also collected two RBI and scored two runs against the Black Bears. DiBiase was a force defensively in centerfield as well, with two sliding catches of flyballs to left and right center. DiBiase leads the team with a .306 average on the season.

ONE RUN SHORT: Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Hofstra was a prime example of a disappointing trend this season--one-run setbacks. Thirteen of the Seawolves' 26 losses have been by just one score. Stony Brook is 4-13 on the year in one-run games.

EYE ON THE RECORD BOOKS: Stephanie DiBiase tied the school record for homeruns in a season with her fifth against Maine last week . . . Lisa Repper cracked five dingers in both 1995 and 1997 . . . Kristen Brust needs just one double to set a new single-season record in Stony Brook softball history . . . Brust's 13th double against Marist equals the single-season record held by Tricia Lipareli.