May 14, 2005

Box Score

Burlington, Ver. - A big inning in each game lifted Stony Brook to a doubleheader sweep of Vermont, 8-7 and 7-3, in America East baseball Saturday afternoon at Centennial Field.

Stony Brook (22-25, 9-8) kept its playoff hopes alive with the sweep and although they remain tied for fifth with Albany (9-8), the Great Danes hold the tiebreaker. Albany kept pace with a doubleheader sweep of UMBC on Saturday.The losses were the third straight for the Catamounts (23-15) as they fall to fourth place in the conference at 10-7. Binghamton (12-5), after a series sweep of Hartford, is in first place one half game in front of Northeastern (11-5), who split a twinbill today with third place Maine (11-6).

In the opener, the Seawolves took advantage of early wildness by Vermont starter Derek Miller to lead 2-0 after three before scoring four times in the fifth. In the first five innings Miller walked four and hit one batter leading to four of the runs. SBU capped the fifth inning on a three-run homer by Isidro Fortuna.

The Catamounts battled back with four of their own in the fifth on five straight hits with two outs to chase Seawolves starter Brian Murtagh. UVM would cut it to 6-5 on a double by Jason Carey and a single by Miguel Magrass in the seventh before Stony Brook would add two more without a hit in the top of the eighth. In the bottom of the frame, Kyle Massie led with a double and moved up on Matt Naimoli's single. Massie came in on a wild pitch by reliever Matt Lyons and with one out, a single by Frank Rossiplated Naimoli to make it 8-7. Lyons would pitch out of the jam and he retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save.

Kris Bakey (2-3) earned the win in relief of Murtagh going two-plus innings. Miller (5-3) suffered the loss going seven innings allowing six hits, six runs (all earned), five walks along with 10 strikeouts.

Fortuna's homer capped a 3-for-5 day for the SBU rightfielder.

Down 3-1 in the seventh inning of Game 2, the Seawolves exploded for six in the seventh as their first six batters reached and scored.

Matt Restivo (5-3) picked up the win for SBU with three innings of solid relief.

The two teams wrap up the series with a single game Sunday at noon at Centennial Field.