April 25, 2009

Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's softball team split its doubleheader with UMBC on Saturday afternoon at University Field. The Retrievers won game one, 5-2, before Stony Brook rallied back with a 3-1 victory in game two. Senior Molly Kestranek (St. Mary's, Ga.) paced the Seawolves offense, going 3-for-5 on the day. Stony Brook now stands at 31-11 (12-4 America East) while UMBC is 32-18 (10-7).

The start of game one was dominated by the starting pitchers with junior Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) and Amanda Fefel allowing only one baserunner each over the first two innings. UMBC used a huge two-out rally in the third inning to break things open, however. With two runners on and one run already scored, Emily Thompson hit a three-run homer over the center field fence to increase the Retrievers' lead to 4-0. UMBC would tack on an unearned run before the Seawolves could escape the inning.

Struzenberg and junior Casey Jacobs (Davie, Fla.) combined to keep UMBC scoreless during the final three innings of the game, but the damage was already done. Stony Brook would score once in the fifth and again in the sixth inning, but the Retrievers held on for the 5-2 win.

The third inning proved to be a run-scoring inning for UMBC in the second game as well. With the bases loaded and one out, Amanda Page singled though the left side, scoring the runner from third. A great throw from junior leftfielder Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.) caught the UMBC runner from second trying to score as well. Cerrone's assist was one of four the Seawolves' outfielders would record on the day, as they consistently cut-down aggressive UMBC baserunners.

Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the third, Stony Brook took advantage of three errors by the Retrievers to score three times. With the bases loaded and no out, senior Marissa Fleury (Mahopac, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to tie the score at 1-1. Senior Kelly Oberto (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) followed with a RBI single past the second baseman. UMBC's right fielder had trouble handling the grounder which allowed Fleury to score as well, putting the Seawolves up 3-1.

Again Struzenberg and Jacobs combined to keep UMBC scoreless after the third inning, this time securing the 3-1 victory for SBU. Struzenberg picked up her 18th win of the season while Jacobs recorded her fourth save, tying the school record she set last season.

Winning the second game was crucial for the Seawolves as they try to stay atop the America East standings. After Saturday's games, Stony Brook holds a one game lead over second-place Boston University, who leap-frogged Albany with a pair of wins over Vermont. The Great Danes lost both games of their doubleheader with Maine, putting them 1.5 games behind the Seawolves in third.