SUGAR LAND, Texas -- The Stony Brook baseball team fell in their season-opener this evening to Purdue University, 6-0, at Constellation Field in Sugar Land, Texas.
Sophomore Eddie Smink (0-1) made his 10th start of his career for the Seawolves today. The right-hander went 5.0 innings for the eighth time in his career and allowed three runs (earned), five hits, and struck out three batters.
Junior Evan Goforth led the way offensively for the Seawolves, going 2-for-4 in the ballgame with a double. Senior Matt Brown-Eiring provided a noteworthy performance at the plate as well, going 2-for-4. Also, junior Robert Taylor went 1-for-4 for Stony Brook with a double, his first career hit for the Seawolves.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Brown-Eiring tallied the first hit of the season for the Seawolves and left stranded on first base to end the opening frame, Purdue came up with a two-out RBI knock to centerfield to take an early 1-0 advantage over the Seawolves. Following the RBI knock, Smink retired the final batter of the inning to leave the opening inning with runners on first and third.
Purdue kept the pressure on the Seawolves by tallying two runs in the second inning following the 1-2-3 frame from the Seawolves. This time, the Boilermakers tallied a double and back-to-back sacrifice-flys to take the 3-0 lead after two innings of play.
Following junior
Nicholas Solorzano's first career hit for the Seawolves and being left at third base to end the inning, Smink found his composure by striking out two batters in the third inning, including the final batter of the frame to leave the Boilermaker at third base.
Stony Brook again would get into scoring position in the fourth by the first hit for Taylor of his career but Stony Brook was unable to cut into the deficit following the double from Taylor. Smink would end his afternoon by stranding two runners on base in the fourth and one in the fifth to keep the Boilermakers at 3-0.
The Seawolves made noise in the sixth inning by getting two of their first three hitters to the plate in the inning from singles by Goforth and Brown-Eiring. However, Purdue made the call to the bullpen and stranded the bases loaded following a ground out to second base by Carson.
Freshman
Erik Paulsen entered the game in the sixth inning and retired three of his four hitters to leave the inning with a three run deficit. But, the Boilermakers would tally two runs in the seventh, taking the 5-0 lead. Stony Brook got two runners on base in the eighth from a double by Goforth and walk by
Brett Paulsen. Purdue held their lead by stranding both runners and tallying another run in the eighth inning to secure the 6-0 victory on opening day.
STATS AND NOTES
- Stony Brook pitchers limited Purdue to just 1-for-10 (.100) with runners in scoring position.
- Each team recorded an error this afternoon.
- Purdue finished with 10 hits compared to the six by Stony Brook.
- Stony Brook pitchers faced 38 Purdue hitters in the game, allowing 10 ground balls and seven fly balls while striking out six.
- Goforth led the Seawolves at the plate, going 2-for-4 with a double.
- Taylor and Solorzano both recorded their first career hits for the Seawolves.
- Freshman Matthew Jackson finished the final 0.2 innings by striking out two of the three batters that he faced.
- E. Paulsen went 2.1 innings, allowing three runs (two earned), five hits and struck out four batters.
QUOTES FROM THE SEAWOLVES
"Opening day is always exciting and today was no different," said head coach Matt Senk. "Overall, the game was frustrating because after a shaky start we were in a position to push across some runs to at least get back to even. But, we unfortunately didn't execute offensively and Purdue did at a high level and that's a credit to their club and the main difference in the result."
UP NEXT
The Seawolves are back in action for the second and third games of this four-game series tomorrow as they will play a double-header against the Boilermakers at Constellation Field. First pitch of the double-header is slated for 2:00 pm, with game two starting 30 minutes after the completion of game one.
