May 15, 2009

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Senior Chad Rebecca (Mount Prospect, Ill.) hit a walk-off RBI single with one out in the ninth inning as the Stony Brook University baseball team rallied for a 7-6 victory over the Maine Black Bears this afternoon at University Field in the second game of an America East doubleheader. Maine won the first game, 7-1. Stony Brook is now 28-20 overall and 13-9 in the America East.

The Seawolves entered the bottom of the seventh of game two trailing 6-4, but junior Robert Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) then hit a mammoth two-run home run to left to tie the game. The contest stayed tied till the bottom of the ninth, when senior Michael Tansey (Valley Stream, N.Y.) singled with one out and moved to third on a single from senior Steven Mazzurco (Selden, N.Y.).

Maine then intentionally walked sophomore Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.) to bring up Rebecca, who sliced a line drive over the head of Maine leftfielder Taylor Lewis to send Tansey home with the winning run. Senior Marc Brown (Lancaster, Pa.) pitched the final 2.2 innings to pick up the victory for SBU. Tansey, Mazzurco and Rebecca registered three hits apiece to lead the Seawolves offense.

Stony Brook grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second game, scoring a run in the second on a Marino RBI groundout. The Seawolves added a run in the fourth on a lead off home run from sophomore Nick Thode (Huntington Station, N.Y.). Maine cut the Seawolves lead to 2-1 in the fifth on a Danny Menendez RBI groundout.

The Black Bears then grabbed the lead in the sixth on a two-run single from Tony Patane. But the Seawolves answered with two runs in the bottom of the inning, taking a 4-3 advantage on a Rebecca run-scoring single. Maine responded with three runs in the seventh, highlighted by a Billy Cather solo home run and a Kevin McAvoy run-scoring double.

Justin Latta took the loss for Maine, giving up a run and four hits in 1.1 innings. Senior Mike Errigo (Bayside, N.Y.) started for the Seawolves and allowed four runs on seven hits in 6.1 innings. The right hander walked three and struck out six.

Maine jumped to the early lead in the first game, scoring two runs in the second on RBI singles from Jarrett Lukas and Joey Martin. The Black Bears added three runs in the fifth to push their lead to 5-0.

Stony Brook got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as freshman Pat Cantwell (West Islip, N.Y.) scored on a sacrifice fly from Rebecca. But Lukas tripled with one out in the sixth and then came home on a Patane sacrifice fly to push the Maine lead to 6-1. Maine scored the final run of the game in the seventh on a Lewis solo home run.

Freshman Tyler Johnson (Chatsworth, Calif.) took the loss for Stony Brook, allowing five earned runs on eight hits in 5.1 innings. Kevin Scanlan hurled a five-hitter to pick up the win for Maine. Senior Brian Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) led SBU with two hits.

The teams will wrap up the four-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m. The Seawolves will honor their eight seniors - Brown, Errigo, Keith Fier (Armonk, N.Y.), Jonathan Kalkau (Bellmore, N.Y.), Mazzurco, Rebecca, Tansey and Witkowski - 30 minutes before the start of Saturday's doubleheader. The Seawolves will also host their annual Alumni Day on Saturday.