April 8, 2011

LIVE STATS: Game One | Game Two | Game Three

Stony Brook, N.Y. - In search of their first conference win, the Stony Brook softball team heads to Orono, Maine this weekend for a pivotal three-game series against the Black Bears. The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 1 p.m. and a single game Sunday starting at 11 a.m.

Stony Brook (10-17, 0-6 America East) is coming off a split against Manhattan on Thursday. The Seawolves won the first game by a 5-3 score on the strength of a one-hitter from senior pitcher Colleen Matthes (Severn, Md.). Junior Bernadette Tenuto (Audubon, N.J.) drove in two runs and was 3-for-4 at the plate. In the second game, Manhattan held off Stony Brook for a 6-4 victory, despite another strong effort from Tenuto, who went 2-for-3 with a home run, an RBI and two runs. Sophomore Taylor Chain (Gloucester, N.J.) also enjoyed a big day at the plate against the Jaspers with four hits in six at bats and four RBI.

The Black Bears (14-20, 5-1 America East) currently sit in third place in the conference standings heading into the weekend. Maine swept UMBC in Baltimore and then took two of three from the defending America East champions, Boston University, last weekend. This weekend's series will be Maine's first home action of the year after playing 34 games away from Orono.

Terren Hall powers the Maine offense with seven home runs, 26 RBI and seven steals to go along with a .330 batting average. Kali Burnham (.347) is also a threat at the plate with a pair of homers and 12 runs batted in. In the circle, Maine features three pitchers in Kylie Sparks (3.43 ERA), Ashley Kelley (3.89) and Beth Spoehr (4.14), who have all made at least 18 appearances. Kelley leads the team with 49 strikeouts.

The Black Bears hold a 17-16 edge in the all-time series dating back to 2002. The squads faced each other five times last season-- three in the regular season and twice in the postseason-- with the Seawolves laying claim to three victories overall.