May 1, 2010

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

Orono, Maine - Sophomore Nick Tropeano (West Islip, N.Y.) hurled a three-hitter to lead the Stony Brook University baseball team to a 7-3 win over the Maine Black Bears in the first game of an America East Conference doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Mahaney Diamond. The Black Bears then outlasted SBU, 10-9, in the second game. Stony Brook is now 18-20 overall and 7-5 in the America East.

Tropeano allowed three runs on three hits in his 7.0 innings. He walked just one and struck out six.

Sophomore Pat Cantwell (West Islip, N.Y.) opened game one with a double and then moved to third on a bunt single from junior Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario). Junior Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.) followed with a run-scoring single to left to give Stony Brook a 1-0 lead.

Senior Robert Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) then singled to left as well but Marshall was thrown out at home for the first out of the game. Senior Michael Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) was retired on a foul pop up but freshman William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) drew a walk to load the bases. Freshman Tanner Nivins (Kitchener, Ontario) then drilled a two-run single to left to make it 3-0.

The Seawolves added two runs in the third on run-scoring hits from Nivins and freshman Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario). Maine finally got to Tropeano in the bottom of the inning as Joe Mercurio hit a three-run home run.

But Stony Brook tacked on a run in the fourth on a Marino RBI single before another run-scoring single from Tissenbaum in the fifth gave the Seawolves a 7-3 lead. Tropeano, meanwhile, allowed just two base runners over the final four innings as he tossed his second straight complete game in his last three starts.

The Seawolves jumped to an early lead in game two as well, scoring a run in the first on an RBI double from Dyer. SBU then added five runs in the second highlighted by a two-run double from Marshall.

Maine got a run back in the bottom of the second and then tied the game at six with five runs in the third. Kyle Stilphen's two-run home run capped the five-run third.

Stony Brook re-gained the lead on a Marshall RBI double in the fourth and then tacked on two unearned runs in the fifth. But Maine answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 10-9 lead. Taylor Lewis drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI double.

The Maine bullpen then held the Seawolves scoreless over the final four innings to secure the victory. SBU put runners on first and second with one out in the ninth but Justin Latta got Marino to ground into a double-play to end the game.

Cantwell went 5-for-6 with an RBI and three runs scored in game two. Marshall added two hits and four RBI.

The teams will wrap up their four-game set with a doubleheader on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.