April 18, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Boston, Mass. - With the Boston Marathon being run on Monday, it seemed only fitting for Stony Brook University to play just over six hours worth of softball against Boston University on Saturday afternoon. The Seawolves and Terriers needed 12 innings to decide game one of the doubleheader, which BU won 6-5, before Stony Brook won game two 6-3. Junior Vicki Kavitsky (Cherry Hill, N.J.) went 4-for-9 with two home runs for Stony Brook. With the split the Seawolves move to 29-9 (10-3 America East) while Boston 30-14 (8-4).

Boston University cracked into the scoring column first, using a pair of hits in the bottom of the first to plate the game's initial run. Following a one-out double to left center by April Setterlund, Melissa Dubay grounded an RBI single to right center. Junior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) battled back, however, striking out the next two batters to end the threat.

Starting pitcher Cassidi Hardy got off to a great start for the Terriers, facing the minimum number of batters through 2.2 innings before the Seawolves exploded for a two-out rally. Sophomore Brijette Martin (New York, N.Y.) started things off with a bunt single that bounced off the glove of a diving Hardy. Kavitsky took the next pitch and drove it deep over the center field fence for a two-run homer. An error and a single put runners on first and second for senior Marissa Fleury (Mahopac, N.Y.) who blooped one into short right field. Boston's second baseman made a diving effort, but could not come up with it as both runners scored, extending Stony Brook's lead to 4-1.

BU answered right back in the bottom half of the third inning, loading the bases on a leadoff walk and two singles. Struzenberg did get the No. 3 hitter to pop out in foul play to catcher Jade Clare (Federal Way, Wash.), but walked the next batter, forcing in a run. The Terriers pulled within one after a wild pitch allowed the runner from third to score and then tied things up on a sacrifice fly to deep left center. With two out and a runner on third, Struzenberg buckled down and fanned the final batter to keep the score knotted at four.

Following a quiet fourth, the Seawolves jumped back into the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Kavitsky led the frame off with a double to left center and moved to third on a groundout to the right side by junior Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.). Senior Kelsi Fanelli (Audubon, N.J.) then laid down a suicide squeeze, scoring Kavitsky from third.

SBU's 5-4 lead would hold up until the bottom of the seventh inning when Shayne Lotito took Struzenberg's first pitch over the center field fence to tie the game. Junior Casey Jacobs (Davie, Fla.) came in relief for the Seawolves and retired the first three batters she faced to put the game into extra innings.

Boston University had a chance to end the game in the bottom of the ninth after a pair of singles put runners on first and second with only one out. Stony Brook kept the runners on those bases as Kavitsky took a grounder to short and threw to third for the second out. The next batter hit a hard grounder up the middle which was kept in the infield with a dive by senior Molly Kestranek (St. Mary's, Ga.) who jumped up and fired home to cut down the runner trying to score from second.

In the bottom of the 12th inning, Boston loaded the bases on two singles and a hit-by-pitch before a second hit batsmen pushed the winning run across.

Boston was the first team to score in game two as well, plating a run from second on a mishandled bunt by Lotito.

The Terriers maintained their one run lead after the two teams traded runs in the fourth. Stony Brook pushed one run across on a double down the left field line by Fleury, only to be answered with an RBI single by BU.

Determined to not go quietly, SBU used a two-out rally in the fifth to jump ahead of the Terriers. With a runner on third, Kavitsky crushed an 0-1 high fastball well over the fence in center to put the Seawolves up 3-2. Cerrone then smoked a single up the middle before Fanelli bombed a triple over the right fielder's head to extend the lead to two runs. SBU wasn't done scoring as Fleury capped things off by bouncing an RBI double off the right field fence.

BU plated a run in the fifth and may have scored more if it was not for some great defense by Cerrone. With no outs and runners on first and third, the junior laid out in left field making an incredible diving catch to keep the Terriers from pulling any closer.

Stony Brook tacked on an insurance run in the fifth inning before Struzenberg shutout the Terriers in the final two innings to secure the 6-3 win. On the day, Struzenberg pitched 13 innings, striking out 13 batters.

Stony Brook and Boston University will wrap-up its three game series tomorrow afternoon. First pitch is set for noon.