April 1, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Piscataway, N.J. - Stony Brook University's softball team saw it's winning streak end at 15-games when it dropped both games of a doubleheader to Rutgers on Wednesday. The Scarlet Knights came from behind to win game one, 10-6, and then needed only five innings to beat the Seawolves in game two, 11-3. The losses move Stony Brook to 19-5 (3-0 America East) while Rutgers improves to 12-19 (2-6 Big East).

Things started off well for Stony Brook, which scored four runs in the second inning of game one to open up an early lead. Senior Marissa Fleury (Mahopac, N.Y.) started the inning off with a hit-by-pitch and scored on senior Kelly Oberto's (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) double to right centerfield. After Oberto advanced to third on an error, Rutgers failed to record an out on a grounder back to the pitcher, which plated a run and put junior Kendall Blumenthal (Frederick, Md.) on first. Four batters later, junior Vicki Kavitsky (Cherry Hill, N.J.) hit a two-out double to center to score the final two runs of the inning.

Stony Brook would score again in the third on an RBI single by freshman Suzanne Karath (Fishkill, N.Y.) to move ahead 5-0.

The lead would not last long, however, as the Scarlet Knights rallied for six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Sarah Kalka started the inning off with a leadoff double to right and would eventually cap the inning with a two-out two RBI single up the middle. It was the only multiple-RBI hit of the inning as Rutgers used five hits and three free passes to jump ahead 6-5. Junior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) had cruised through the first three innings of the game, allowing only three batters to reach base, all on walks, before giving up the six earned runs.

In the fifth inning, Rutgers took advantage of two Stony Brook errors to score four unearned runs. Brittney Lindley had the big hit for the Scarlet Knights, lining a two-out single to right which scored two runs.

Senior Kelsi Fanelli (Audubon, N.J.) would hit her first home run of the season in the Seawolves' final at-bats to pull Stony Brook within four, but that was as close as SBU would get, as Rutgers held on for the 10-6 victory.

The Seawolves jumped on the Scarlet Knights early in game two as well, putting up three runs in the opening frame. Fanelli started the scoring with an RBI double to right centerfield and two batters later Oberto took one over the right field fence for her third homer of the season.

Rutgers' offense proved to be too much, however, answering right back with a three-spot of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Kalka led the way offensively, knocking in three of Rutgers' 11 total runs. Junior Casey Jacobs (Davie, Fla.) was given her first loss of the 2009 season, allowing five earned runs in 1.1 innings.

Stony Brook returns to conference play this weekend when it faces Maine on the road.