TOWSON, Md. – The Stony Brook baseball team (23-27, 14-14 CAA) earned their fourth win in a row this afternoon after defeating Towson University (17-37, 5-23 CAA), 9-3, at the John B. Schuerholz Baseball Complex in Maryland.
In the top of the ninth inning, junior
Evan Fox broke Travis Jankowski's stolen base record for a single season that he set in 2012 with his 37th stolen bag of the season. Earlier in the year, Fox became the all-time leader for stolen bases in program history after recording the 80th bag of his career that also passed Jankowski.
After tossing eight innings and allowing three runs in the victory last Friday over Monmouth, graduate
Ben Fero continued to produce on the bump as he allowed three runs over 7.2 innings and tied his season-best with nine punch outs today. The right-hander is 4-0 in his last five starts and has completed at least 7.0 innings in four of his five previous outings.
Fero began his start by stranding two runners on base in the first inning and retiring the Tigers in order to give the Seawolves the momentum heading into the third inning.
Junior
Ryan Micheli led the frame off with a walk, followed by first-year student
Matthew Wright launching his first career home run over the right field fence to give Stony Brook an early 2-0 advantage. Following a single by Fox, fielder's choice from graduate
Evan Giordano, and a base-hit by senior
Shane Paradine, junior
Matt Brown-Eiring put the squad up 3-0 by hitting a rocket to right field.
The right-hander would toss another perfect inning in the bottom half of the third, giving the Seawolves the opportunity to tack on more runs. Wasting no time, Stony Brook got back-to-back hits from Micheli and Wright with one out in the inning. Then, Fox got the top of the order going by sending a double to left field that allowed Micheli to score. Giordano also tallied an RBI to allow the Seawolves to take the 5-0 lead.
The Tigers remained quiet throughout the next four innings at the plate as Fero retired 12 of his next 13 batters, including nine straight batters from the fifth to seventh inning.
In the eighth inning, the Seawolves brought in graduate
Nick DeGennaro to secure the four run lead with one out in the inning. After allowing a single, DeGennaro produced a pop-out to the shortstop to hold the 5-3 lead.
Stony Brook earned four more insurance runs in the next frame after Paradine eclipsed the 100th career RBI by tripling to center that allowed Giordano, Fox, and Wright to score. Senior
Derek Yalon capped the inning off with an RBI single.
DeGennaro finished the ninth by retiring three of the four hitters he faced to secure his third save of the season and the 9-3 victory.
STATS AND NOTES
- Fox is now the all-time stolen base career and season record holder after swiping his 37th bag of the season in the ninth inning to break the record set by Travis Jankowski. He also went 3-for-5 with an RBI, run scored, and double. It was the sixth time this season that he tallied at least three hits in a game.
- Wright had a career day at the plate. The first-year student had a career-best three hits and three runs in four at-bats. Also, he slammed his first career home run and tied his career high with two RBI.
- Paradine has a four game hitting-streak as he went 3-for-5 with 3 RBI. It was the first time since March 31 against Hofstra that he collected at least three hits and three RBI.
- Brown-Eiring ended his afternoon with his 17th multi-hit game of the year by going 2-for-5 with an RBI and run scored. He has a hit in 12 of his las 13 games, including a four game hitting-streak. The junior is now hitting .302 this season.
- Fero earned his sixth win of the season, which ties Josh O'Neill for the team-high, and owns 15 career wins. He tossed 7.2 innings, allowing three runs (earned), and struck out nine batters, which tied his season-high,
- DeGennaro earned the third save of the season and fourth of his career.
- Stony Brook is now 1-1 all-time against Towson.
- The squad has tallied five or more runs in their last six games.
UP NEXT
Game two of this three-game set in Towson is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. Senior
Josh O'Neill will make the start for Stony Brook, facing Max Simpson. For an inside look at the Stony Brook baseball program, be sure to follow them on
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