March 7, 2009

Box Score

Boca Raton, Fla. - Stony Brook University's softball team won a pair of games on Saturday at the FAU "Miken" Classic on Saturday. The Seawolves opened the day with a 2-0 win over Central Michigan, led by a complete game shutout by junior Casey Jacobs (Davie, Fla.), then beat Florida Atlantic, 3-2, in the nightcap. Overall, Stony Brook is now 6-3 on the season.

Jacobs opened game one against Central Michigan with two perfect innings, picking up three strikeouts. The Chippewas threatened in the third, with a runner on second and two outs. Leadoff hitter, Tracy Kaatz, singled to left field, but junior Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.) threw out the runner at home, ending the threat and the inning.

Stony Brook finally broke the scoreless tie in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Senior Marissa Fleury (Mahopac, N.Y.) drew a one-out walk and advanced to second when junior Kendall Blumenthal (Frederick, Md.) reached on an error by the shortstop. A groundout to second moved the runners to second and third with two outs. Senior Kelly Oberto (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) then came through with a double to left center, scoring two.

Central Michigan threatened again in the top-half of the fifth, with runners on second and third with only one out. But once again the Seawolves kept them off the board with a fly-out to center and a strikeout. Jacobs kept the Chippewas off the bases for the remainder of the game, securing her third win of the season with a complete-game shutout.

Stony Brook struck early against FAU with junior Vicki Kavitsky (Cherry Hill, N.J.) scoring on a single to centerfield by senior Kelsi Fanelli (Audubon, N.J.) in the top of the first inning. The scoring continued in the second as senior Molly Kestranek (St. Mary's, Ga.) doubled with one out and later scored on a sacrifice fly by junior Jade Clare (Federal Way, Wash.).

In the top of the third, the Seawolves used a big two-out rally to score their third run of the game. Fanelli started things off with a two-out single up the middle, followed by singles from Fleury and Jacobs, which loaded the bases. Kestranek then drew a walk, scoring Fanelli from third.

Junior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) was solid in the circle for the Seawolves, recording five strikeouts in her first three innings of work. In the fourth, FAU loaded the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk, which was followed by an RBI single to right. Struzenberg hit the next batter to force another run across, but then settled down striking out the next two batters.

Struzenberg would keep the Owls off the basepaths for the remainder of the game, as she threw a complete game, recording 11 strikeouts and allowing just five hits.

Stony Brook will face Columbia on Sunday at 11 a.m.