April 11, 2008

Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Weston Szymanski hurled a seven-hitter to lead the Hartford Hawks to a 5-2 victory over the Stony Brook University baseball team on Friday afternoon at University Field. The Seawolves fall to 15-11 overall and 4-1 in the America East while the Hawks improve to 10-14 and 4-1. The teams will continue their four-game set with a doubleheader on Saturday at University Field at Noon. First pitch was orginally set for 1 p.m.

The Seawolves got off to a quick start as junior Brian Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) led off the Stony Brook first with a triple into the right-field corner and scored on an RBI groundout from freshman Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario). Sophomore Mike Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) followed with his team-leading sixth home run of the season to give SBU a 2-0 lead.

Stony Brook senior starter Tom Koehler (New Rochelle, N.Y.) breezed through the first two innings but ran into trouble in the third as the Hawks scored without the benefit of a hit. Adam Bowser reached on a Stony Brook error to lead off the inning and then moved to third on an errant Koehler pick off throw. Adam Grap drove in Bowser with a RBI groundout to second to cut the SBU lead to 2-1.

Hartford grabbed a 3-2 lead in the sixth as Simon Kudernatsch singled to left to lead off and then came home on a two-run home run from Bill Perry over the left-center field fence. The Hawks added a run in the eighth on a Matt Walker RBI single and another in the ninth as Bowser doubled to left-center, stole third and scored on a wild pitch from Stony Brook sophomore reliever Jordan Purington (Westbrook, Maine).

Szymanski (2-2) earned the win for the Hawks, allowing just the two runs in his 9.0 innings of work. Koehler (4-2) took the loss for Stony Brook, giving up three runs and seven hits in 7.0+ innings. Stephan and junior Michael Tansey (Valley Stream, N.Y.) led the Seawolves offense with two hits apiece.