March 22, 2008

Box Score

Farmville, Va. - Junior Brian Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) hit the go-ahead home run with two outs in the 12th inning to lead the Stony Brook University baseball team to a thrilling 7-6 victory over the Longwood Lancers in the first game of a doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Lancer Stadium. Witkowski then went 3-for4 with an RBI in game two of the doubleheader but it wasn't enough as the Lancers pulled out a 7-3 win. Stony Brook ended the day with a record of 6-8 while the Lancers go to 13-8.

The Seawolves tied game one in the top of the ninth as freshman Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) was hit by a pitch to lead off and then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from sophomore Michael Stephan (Patchogue-Medford, N.Y.). A fly out to center by junior Jeremy Nowak (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) moved Marshall to third, bringing up freshman Nick Thode (Huntington Station, N.Y.) who grounded one to second base that was mishandled by the second baseman allowing Marshall to score the tying run.

Neither team was able to break through in extra innings until the 12th when Witkowski came up with two outs and smashed one over the right field fence to give SBU the lead. Nowak, entering his fourth inning of work, then retired the side in the bottom of the inning to give the Seawolves the victory.

Stony Brook took a 5-2 lead with three runs in the fifth on a two-run single from Stephan and a RBI single from junior Stephen Mazzurco (Selden, N.Y.). But the Lancers got a run back in the sixth on an RBI double from Nick von Gersdorff and then took the lead with three runs in the seventh highlighted by a two-run home run from Justin Morreim.

Senior Gary Novakowski (Prospect, Conn.) started and got a no-decision for the Seawolves, allowing just an earned run in 6.0 innings of work. Nowak picked up the victory, giving up no runs on just four hits in his 4.0 innings of work.

Stephan gave SBU the early lead in game two, launching a two-run shot in the top of the first to give the Seawolves a 2-0 advantage. The Lancers answered back in the bottom of the inning though, getting three unearned runs off Stony Brook senior starter Mike Errigo (Bayside, N.Y.) highlighted by a two-out two-run triple from von Gersdorff.

Witkowki's second home run of the day to lead off the third tied it at three but the Lancers got two more unearned runs in the bottom of the inning as Morreim reached on a Seawolves error and then came around to score on a sacrifice fly from von Gersdorff. Phil Cerrato came home with the second run of the inning on a Longwood double steal.

Morreim added a run in the fifth with a solo shot and Robbie Bailey made it 7-3 in the sixth with a run-scoring single. Longwood starter John Walker II hurled a complete game six-hitter to pick up the victory for the Lancers. Errigo took the loss, giving up only two earned runs and seven hits in 5.0 innings.

The team will wrap up their three-game set on Sunday at noon.