March 20, 2008

Box Score

Harrisonburg, Va. - The Stony Brook University baseball team tallied a season-high 15 hits and senior Tom Koehler (New Rochelle, N.Y.) allowed just two runs in 6.0 innings to lead the Seawolves to an easy 16-3 victory over the James Madison Dukes on Thursday afternoon at Long Field. SBU improves to 5-7 with the victory while the Dukes fall to 14-4.

Junior Rob Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) went 3-for-5 with three RBI including one of the Seawolves four home runs as Stony Brook also set a season-high in runs. Koehler (3-1) allowed five hits in his 6.0 innings of work, striking out nine.

Junior Justin Echevarria (Uniondale, N.Y.) set the tone for SBU in the second, blasting a three-run home run to left-center to give the Seawolves a 3-0 lead. Stony Brook added a run in the third as junior Jeremy Nowak (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) reached on an error to begin the inning and then eventually came around to score on an infield single from junior Chad Rebecca (Mt. Prosepct, Ill.).

It looked as if the Dukes would have an easy inning in the fourth, retiring the first two Seawolves batters. But freshman Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) singled and sophomore Michael Stephan (Patchogue-Medford, N.Y.) then reached on a hit by pitch to bring up Nowak who singled to left to drive in Marshall. After freshman Nick Thode (Huntington Station, N.Y.) followed with another run-scoring single, junior Steven Mazzurco (Seleden, N.Y.) came up and launched a three-run shot to make it 9-0.

Stephan continued the power surge for the Seawolves in the fifth, smashing a two-run shot to make it 11-0. Koehler meanwhile, cruised through the first 5.0 innings, allowing no runs and two hits before giving up two runs and three hits in his sixth and final inning of work. Sophomore Devin Will (Remsen, N.Y.) and freshman Evan Stecko-Haley (Coral Springs, Fla.) each threw a scoreless inning in relief of Koehler.

Mazzurco finished the day with two hits and three RBI for the Seawolves while Thode went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. John Mincone (0-1) took the loss for the Dukes, allowing five runs and five hits in 3.2 innings of work.

The Seawolves return to action on Saturday, beginning a three-game set against Longwood with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.