ELON, N.C. — The Stony Brook baseball team (14-21, 6-10 CAA) earned a victory under the lights in Elon, N.C., on Friday night as the squad defeated Elon University (23-14, 12-6 CAA), 9-4. The nine runs and 16 hits that the Seawolves tallied were the most that the Phoenix has surrendered to any CAA opponent this season.
Entering the game with the No. 10 ranked team-ERA in the country at 3.60, the Seawolves jumped all over the Phoenix starter in the first inning by tallying four runs in the frame. Leading off for the Seawolves was junior Evan Fox reaching on a walk, and then reaching second base by stealing his CAA-leading 26th bag of the season. For his career, the native of Ballston Spa has stolen 78 bases, which is second behind Seawolf legend Travis Jankowski who holds the program record with 79 for his career.
Following the stolen base, the Seawolves tallied four consecutive hits to score three runs. Beginning the hit-parade was graduate Evan Giordano bringing in Fox for his team-high RBI. Then, senior Shane Paradine and junior Matt Brown-Eiring notched back-to-back RBI knocks, giving Stony Brook the 3-0 lead. After junior Derek Yalon singled, senior Brett Paulsen brought home Brown-Eiring on a ground-out, allowing Stony Brook to go up 4-0 after the first.
Stony Brook sent out graduate Ben Fero to make his team-high ninth start of the season. The right-hander got out of trouble in the first two innings by dealing back-to-back double plays to the Seawolves middle infield. But, the Phoenix got to the Connecticut native by tallying a run in the third and fourth inning, making the score 4-2.
The Seawolves would respond quickly in the next inning by extending their lead to four runs. Giordano began the inning with a double to the fence, and reached the plate after Paradine sent him home on a knock up the middle. Following a hit by Brown-Eiring and a walk by Yalon to load the bases, Paulsen tallied a single to the pitcher, giving the Seawolves a 6-2 lead.
In the fifth and sixth inning, Fero turned to his defense again and they turned a double play in each inning, giving them four for the game which marked a new season-high for the squad.
Fero got two more runs of insurance in the seventh inning. With two-outs, Paulsen and Miceli delivered back-to-back hits and freshman Matthew Wright got hit by a pitch to load the bases. At the top, Fox registered the two-RBI knock giving Stony Brook their largest lead, 8-2.
After the Phoenix tallied two runs in their half of the seventh inning, Giordano led off the inning with a double, his 199th career hit, and Paradine captured a single to get two-runners on with no outs. Brown-Eiring then got his first RBI of the night, extending the lead to 9-4.
Graduate Nick DeGennaro entered the game for Fero after he finished his seven innings by allowing four runs (earned) and struck out six batters. DeGennaro was spotless in his two innings of work by striking out two batters and retiring all six batters he faced to secure the 9-4 victory.
STATS AND NOTES
- Paulsen has a hit in 18 of his last 19 games after going 2-for-5 with two-RBI this evening.
- Giordano is now one hit shy of 200 for his career by going 3-for-5 at the dish with two doubles, three runs scored and an RBI. It was his 17th multi-hit game of the season and seventh time with at least three hits.
- Paradine recorded at least three hits for the fourth time this season and collected multi-RBI for the ninth time this season by having a 3–for-5 day at the plate with two RBI and scored twice.
- Brown-Eiring had his second three-hit performance in the last four games by going 3-for-5 at the plate. He also tallied an RBI and scored a run.
- Wright had his second multi-hit game of his career by tallying two hits in three at-bats.
- Fero earned his third victory of the season and 12th of his career by tossing 7.0 innings, allowing four runs (earned) and struck out six batters. It was the sixth start in his last seven that Fero tossed at least 6.0 innings and has struck out at least five batters in three of his last four starts.
- The 9 runs that Stony Brook tallied was the most any CAA team has scored off Elon this season.
- Stony Brook turned four double plays, a new season-high. Also that squad tallied 17 assists, which also marked a season-best.
- Stony Brook is 2-0 all-time against Elon.
UP NEXT
Game two of this three-game set in Elon is scheduled for tomorrow 7:00 p.m. Senior Josh O'Neill will make the start for Stony Brook, facing Justin Mitrovich. For an inside look at the Stony Brook baseball program, be sure to follow them on Facebook,
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