BLACKSBURG, Va. -- Freshman Erik Paulsen and senior Matt Brown-Eiring each collected three hits, but the Stony Brook Seawolves ultimately fell to the Virginia Tech Hokies 11-5 on Saturday afternoon in the second of three meetings this weekend.
Senior Ty Saunders (0-2) got the ball to start for Stony Brook (3-7) and went 3.1 innings, allowing six runs (earned), and struck out to two batters. Following Saunders, junior Colin Rhein came into the game for his third appearance of the year and matched his season-high with 2.1 innings, allowing two runs (earned) and tallied a strikeout. Junior Colton Book finished the final 2.1 innings and allowed three runs (earned) with three strikeouts.
The three-hit day by E. Paulsen and Brown-Eiring led the Seawolves offensively. Paulsen added his first career homer and three RBI to his three-hit performance as well. Sophomore Johnny Pilla also chipped in for Stony Brook off the bench, putting together one hit in one trip to the plate that carried over the right-field fence for his second homer of the year.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Seawolves got the scoring started early, putting two runs on the board in the top of the first inning. Stony Brook plated two runs when E. Paulsen left the yard with Brown-Eiring aboard after the senior tallied the first hit of the game for the squad. Virginia Tech would respond in their turn at the plate and the Seawolves lost their lead by allowing four runs in the frame on a RBI-knock and three-run homer.
After Saunders kept the Hokies scoreless in the second, the Hokies would score a run in the third and fourth inning to take the 6-2 advantage. Stony brook would respond in the fifth after the scoreless frame by Saunders. The Seawolves got the bases-loaded with hits from Brown-Eiring, E. Paulsen, and walk by B. Paulsen for junior
Robert Taylor. The outfielder would drive in Brown-Eiring on a base-hit to left field that would bring the score to 6-3.
The Hokies came back with another run in the seventh but Stony Brook answered with an RBI sac-fly from E. Pauslen that made the score 10-4. Following the run in the eighth by the Hokies, Pilla came into the game and tallied his second homer of the year to cut the deficit to six. VT sat down the final to Stony Brook hitters to secure the 11-5 win, respectively.
STATS AND NOTES
- Stony Brook's highest scoring inning was the first, when it pushed two runs across.
- Stony Brook pitchers faced 42 Virginia Tech hitters in the game, allowing six ground balls and 10 fly balls while striking out six.
- This was the second time this season Stony Brook tallied at least two homers (two against LSU on Feb. 25).
- The three homers Stony Brook allowed marked a new season-high.
- Saunders tied Eddie Smink with the most starts on the team after making his third of the season.
- Pilla now leads the team with two homers on the season after his pitch-hit homerun this afternoon.
- Brown-Eiring continues to barrel the baseball by tallying his seventh multi-hit game of the season and first three-hit game of the year. He's leading the team with a .459 batting average, 17 hits, and 11 RBI. Also, he has reached base in every game this season.
- E. Paulsen shined for the Seawolves at the plate, going 3-for-3 with his first career homerun and three RBI. E. Paulsen now his two three-hit games in his last three games and tallied the first three RBI of his career.
- Taylor collected two hits for Stony Brook, his third multi-hit game of the season.
- Book and Rhein both made their third appearance of the year on the bump this afternoon.
UP NEXT
The Seawolves will return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m. for the series finale against the Hokies as freshman
Nicholas Rizzo is slated to get the start for Stony Brook.
