March 25, 2008

Game One Box Score

Game Two Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - With the game tied 7-7 in the bottom of the eighth and a runner on first base, junior Kelly Oberto (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) hit a frozen-rope line drive over the centerfield fence for a walk-off homer, giving Stony Brook a 9-7 win in extra innings. The Seawolves won game one of the doubleheader, 9-0 in six innings. Stony Brook improves its record to 11-9-1 on the season while Rhode Island falls to 7-18.

The Seawolves jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in game two thanks to an RBI single by junior Marissa Fleury (Mahopac, N.Y.) and an RBI double by sophomore Jade Clare (Federal Way, Wash.).

After the Rams scored a run of their own in the top of the third, Stony Brook responded with a three-run bottom half. Junior Kelsi Fanelli (Audubon, N.J.) led the inning off with a double to center and then scored two batters later on a double by Clare. Junior Molly Kestranek (St. Mary's, Ga.) followed that up with a single to left and an overthrow by Rhode Islands' leftfielder resulted in Clare crossing the plate. Stony Brook's third double of the inning, this time by sophomore Katelyn O'Donnell (Kingston, Mass.), plated Kestranek and pushed the Seawolves' lead to, 5-1.

Stony Brook scored once in the fourth inning, before the wheels came off defensively. Rhode Island managed to score six times in the top of the fifth inning on just two hits. Two walks, a wild pitch and three fielder's choices that didn't result in outs, gave the Rams a 7-6 lead.

The Seawolves evened things back up in the bottom of the seventh, with a one-out single up the middle by Clare. With sophomore Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.) pinch-running, Kestranek grounded out to the pitcher advancing Cerrone to second. A single to center by freshman Colleen Ryan (Jordan, N.Y.) was all Cerrone needed to score from second and send the game into extra innings.

Senior Ashley Westphal (Huntington Beach, Calif.) drew a one-out walk in the top of the eighth, and Oberto took care of the rest, hitting a memorable first home run of the season, to win it for the Seawolves.

Sophomore Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.), who came in relief in the fifth inning, earned the win, her second of the afternoon, improving her record to 8-2. Struzenberg pitched six innings in game one, allowing just one hit while striking out 10. The Seawolves used a seven-run fifth inning, followed by a two-run sixth to end game one early, 9-0. Fanelli, Fleury and senior Sara Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.) all had homers and Kestranek was a perfect 3-for-3.

Next up for the Seawolves is a doubleheader against Maine at University Field on Saturday starting at 12:00 p.m.