ORANGE, N.J. –
Evan Fox's seventh-inning home run and a combined shutout performance from a pair of pitchers lifted Stony Brook baseball to a 1-0 series-opening victory over Seton Hall in New Jersey on Friday.
The Seawolves evened their record at 8-8 while the Pirates fell to 10-7.
Stony Brook sophomore
Eddie Smink (W, 2-2) recorded six shutout innings, allowing seven hits and striking out eight. Freshman
Erik Paulsen relieved Smink in the seventh and recorded the nine-out save over a scoreless three innings on three hits.
Stony Brook got two singles from junior
Matt Miceli along with the senior Fox's home run. E. Paulsen and graduate student
Brett Paulsen also recorded hits for Stony Brook on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Seton Hall got back-to-back singles in the bottom of the fourth to put runners on the corners with two outs, but Smink forced a comebacker to end the inning.
- SHU once again had two on, two out in the bottom of the pitch, but a popup to the first baseman ended the inning.
- In the following inning, the Pirates put runners on first and second with no outs, but a strikeout, foulout and another strikeout left another two runners stranded and kept things scoreless.
- Fox's home run led off the seventh inning to break the scoreless tie.
- Seton Hall got a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth, but Paulsen retired the next three hitters to keep the Pirates off the board.
- He then retired the Pirates in order in the bottom of the ninth, striking out the final two batters.
STATS AND NOTES
- The win gives Stony Brook victories over opponents from the Big Ten (Purdue), SEC (LSU), ACC (Virginia Tech) and Big East (Seton Hall).
- Fox's long ball was his first of the season and 15th of his career.
- Stony Brook pitching stranded 11 baserunners from Seton Hall, with two each coming in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings.
- Seawolf pitching did not allow a walk for the first time this season.
- Smink has struck out 20 batters over 12.1 innings across his last two starts, allowing just one run and one walk in that stretch.
UP NEXT
Stony Brook and Seton Hall will play the middle game of the weekend series on Saturday, March 16 with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m. on FloBaseball.
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