April 24, 2005

Game 1
Game 2

Stony Brook, N.Y. - The Stony Brook softball team rallied from a 5-0 deficit, earning a 6-5 win in Game 2, to highlight a double header sweep of UMBC on Sunday afternoon at University Field. The Seawolves, who captured the opener 7-0, improve to 17-27 overall and 7-5 in America East play, while the Retrievers fell to 22-24-1 and 5-7.

In the opener, the Seawolves jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning on a two-run home run by Hayley Durham. They doubled their lead in the second as Christina Voth drew a lead-off walk and came around to score when Rachael Vogl reached on an error. Two batters later, Jane Stein singled home Vogl to make it 4-0 Stony Brook.

The Retrievers threatened in the top of the fourth, loading the bases with three straight base hits to open the inning. Sarah Hoffman pitched her way out of the jam, getting Amanda Bile and Jessica Griffith to pop up before Heather Bennett flied out to left field to end the inning.

The Seawolves added another run in the bottom of the inning when Vogl led off with a single up the middle, moved to second on a sacrifce bunt by Laura Bradford and scored on a double to the right centerfield gap by Stein to make it 5-0. Kristen Brust added a two-run double in the bottom of the sixth to push the lead to 7-0.

Hoffman (9-9) picked up her third shutout of the season, scattering seven hits while striking out three while walking none over seven innings of work. Lauren Nicholson (9-14) took the loss, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out two over 3.1 innings. Katie Passero came on in the fourth, allowing two runs, one earned, on two hits over 2.2 innings of work.

Stein went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI and a run scored, while Vogl went 2-for-2 and scored three runs to lead SB at the plate.

In the nightcap, UMBC picked up a pair of runs in the top of the first inning as Amanda McGhee hit a solo home run over the left field wall and Kristie Pikeral singled and later scored on an error.

The Retrievers stretched their advantage to 5-0 in the top of the fifth on an RBI groundout by Reilly Ward and a two-run single by Dana Shepherd.

The Seawolves rallied back in the bottom of the sixth as Stein, Sara Cerrone and Brust hit back-to-back-to-back singles to open the inning. After Durham popped out, Turek smacked an RBI single to right center, scoring Stein. Laura Bradford followed with a bloop single to left to drive in Cerrone and make it 5-2, chasing UMBC starter Amy Sadowl. Jessica Taylor came on in relief, striking out Hoffman, but then gave up a bases-clearing double to Margaret Blair to tie the game at five runs apiece.

Vogl led off the bottom of the seventh with a bunt single and moved to third when Kali Shirk threw the ball away trying to throw Stein out on a sacrifice bunt attempt. Cerrone then drew a walk to load the bases and Sadowl reentered, getting Brust to pop out to second, but walking Durham to force in the winning run and give SB the 6-5 victory.

Voth (3-1) picked up the win in relief, not allowing a run or a hit while striking out two and walking one in 2.1 innings. Angela Andrews started for the Seawolves, allowing five runs, four earned, on eight hits and a walk while striking out two in 4.2 innings of work. Sadowl (8-5) took the loss, surrendering five runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four in 5.2 innings.

The two teams wrap up the three-game series on Monday beginning at noon.