BRONX, N.Y. — Coach
Megan T. Bryant gathered the Stony Brook softball team after
Dawn Bodrug escaped an inherited bases-loaded jam in the second inning and told the Seawolves plenty of time remained for a comeback from their four-run deficit.
Stony Brook then began chipping away.
The Seawolves eventually took the lead, but ultimately suffered a 10-6 walk-off loss to host Fordham in nine innings at Bahoshy Field on Tuesday afternoon.
Fordham's Brianna Pinto delivered a walk-off grand slam with one out in the ninth against Bodrug after an error put the tying run in scoring position and a wild pitch moved the runner to third base, prompting an intentional walk to load the bases.
Stony Brook (13-6) had its winning streak snapped at six games, while Fordham extended its winning streak to 13.
"I don't think we were great from the get-go," Bryant said. "You can look at the first inning, and it was very uncharacteristic of us. We got past the first inning. We got back into it. We were able to be productive. It was a crazy kind of game. They swing the bats well. And neither team was playing great defense."
Stony Brook had benefited from three Fordham errors while batting around in a five-run fourth inning to grab a 6-4 lead.
And things looked promising with Bodrug — named the program's first-ever Wilson/NFCA national Pitcher of the Week earlier in the afternoon, and fresh off a no-hitter against Binghamton on Saturday — in the circle.
She had coaxed a popout to shortstop from Rachel Hubertus and then struck out Bella Ayala looking after inheriting a bases-loaded, one-out jam from starter
Shelbi Denman in the second inning. That held Stony Brook's deficit at 4-0.
Bodrug then escaped a self-created bases-loaded, no-out jam in the third by recording three straight strikeouts.
Her scoreless streak ended at 18 2/3 innings in the fourth when Fordham produced an unearned run to pull within 6-5, but Bodrug stranded the potential tying run at third base that inning. Fordham evened the score with two out in the sixth on a line single beyond the reach of right fielder
Shauna Nuss.
The Seawolves, who swept a doubleheader from Binghamton to open America East play on Saturday, return to conference play with four games this upcoming weekend at Hartford.