NEW BRITAIN, Conn. — Two games into the series.
Two comeback victories.
The Stony Brook baseball team scored nine runs over the final four innings to rally for a win for the second straight day, this time topping host Central Connecticut, 9-3, on Saturday.
Freshman
Evan Fox drove in three runs.
Evan Giordano, Fox and
Johnny Decker — the top three hitters in
Matt Senk's revised lineup — had three hits apiece. They combined to score five runs and produce five RBIs.
"I don't think I expected to have this significant a role right at the start," Fox said. "The coaches have shown a lot of trust in me. I'm just doing what I can to try to help the team win."
Trailing 2-0 in the sixth,
John Tuccillo's double plated Giordano, then a wild pitch allowed
Chris Hamilton to scamper home with the tying run.
An inning later, Fox singled, advanced on Decker's hit and
Idris Carter's sacrifice bunt, and scored the tiebreaking run on a wild pitch. Giordano followed with an RBI single for a two-run cushion.
Two more runs followed in the eighth, when Fox delivered an RBI triple and scored on Decker's ensuing single.
Shane Paradine tacked on an RBI double and Fox had a two-run single in the ninth.
"The past week the hitters have really worked hard during practice, and even during extra hours, to get back to way we do things around here," Giordano said. "I think our preparation coming into the weekend has really allowed us to be fully confident in our ability to get the job done and help the team win."
Tuccillo, who had the tiebreaking RBI in the ninth in the 4-3 comeback win in Friday's series opener, extended his season-opening hitting streak to seven games.
Stony Brook starter
Jared Milch surrendered a pair of first-inning runs, then fired five straight scoreless frames before handing the ball off to freshman
Shane Helmstadt.
Helmstadt went the rest of the way in his second collegiate appearance to record his first career save.
Stony Brook (4-4) aims to complete the three-game sweep when the teams meet on Sunday at noon in New Britain.
