April 12, 2005

Game 1
Game 2

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook softball team dropped a pair of games to Fairfield, falling 5-1 in Game 1 and 4-1 in Game 2 on Tuesday afternoon at University Field. With the losses, the Seawolves dropped to 14-20 on the season, while the Stags improved to 18-14.

In the opener, Fairfield came out on fire, striking for five runs over the first three innings against Stony Brook starter Sarah Hoffman (8-5). Erin Frank hit a two-run homer to left center to give the Stags a 2-0 lead after one inning. Julia Jacoby's sacrifice fly in the second made it 3-0, and Natalie Visone and Molly Harris added RBI singles in the third to give the visitors a 5-0 advantage.

The Seawolves managed just one run in the contest, as Laura Bradford led off the bottom of the first with a double to right center and later came around to score on a bases loaded walk to Suzanne Turek.

Hoffman took the loss after allowing five runs on 10 hits and no walks while striking out three in just three innings of work, snapping her eight game winning streak. Christina Voth came on in relief, striking out seven of the 13 batters she faced while allowing just one hit over four innings. Tracy Sylvestre (7-4) earned the victory after surrendering one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four over seven innings.

In the nightcap, the Seawolves took a 1-0 lead in the first as Ashley Westphal reached on a fielder's choice, stole second, moved to third on a single by Jane Stein and scored on an RBI double by Kristen Brust.

The visitors tied it up in the top of the third on an RBI triple by Cagney Rignalda, scoring Jacoby to make it 1-1.

The Stony Brook defense fell apart in the sixth, allowing three runs on four hits while committing two errors. Rignalda and Erin Frank led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Rignalda scored on a double by Shannon Logan, but Frank was caught in a rundown in an attempt to score from first on the play. After Natalie Visone popped up for the second out of the inning, Riannon Thomas reached on an error by Bradford, scoring Logan from second to make it 3-1. Thomas advanced to third on an infield single Kristen D'Alessandro and scored when Hayley Durham overthrew first base to put the visitors up 4-1.

The Seawolves threatened in the seventh, loading the bases after Brust was hit by a pitch and Jane Stein and Hoffman drew walks, but Sylvestre, who came on in relief, struck out Sarah Cerrone to end the game.

Angela Andrews (5-14) took the loss, allowing four runs, two earned, on nine hits while striking out two and walking none over six innings. Voth came on in the seventh and retired all three batters she faced. Tara Hansen earned the victory, tossing a two-hitter over six innings, allowing just one unearned run despite walking seven batters.

The Seawolves return to action on Thursday when they travel to Hartford for a single game at 3:00 p.m. The game will be played on the campus of Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Conn.