WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – The Stony Brook University baseball team opened up their 2024 CAA slate this afternoon in Williamsburg, Va. The squad battled tough against the Tribe, but ultimately fell 6-1 and 3-1 in this afternoon's doubleheader.

Sophomore Eddie Smink pitched well in the first game of the day, fanning eight William & Mary hitters over 4.1 innings of work, but came up on the short end of the decision. Freshman Eric Paulsen also made an impact on both sides of the diamond for the Seawolves, starting the ballgame at DH, tossing 3.2 innings, giving up three runs (0 earned), on three hits. 

In the second game, freshman Nicholas Rizzo went 5.2 innings, giving up two runs, one earned, on eight hits, allowing one walk and striking out four. Graduate Brett Pualsen had the lone RBI for the Seawolves in the 3-1 defeat, respectively. 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

GAME 1 | William & Mary 6, Stony Brook 1

• The ballgame was scoreless for the first four innings of the game. Smink tallied seven strikeouts through the opening innings and did not allow a hit. 
• Stony Brook opened the scoring in the fifth inning. B. Paulsen captured the first hit of the game and sophomore Johnny Pilla walked to give the Seawolves two runners on with no outs. After a double-play by the Tribe that allowed B. Paulsen to get to third base, junior Evan Goforth made the most of an error by the Tribe that brought B. Paulsen in. 
• The Tribe responded right back by scoring six runs on four hits and two errors by the Seawolves in the next inning.
• The Seawolves would get the bases-loaded in the seventh but were unable to push a run across. 
• E. Paulsen sat down seven batters in a row from the sixth to eighth inning. 
• B. Paulsen walked in the ninth, but the Tribe sat down the next two Stony Brook batters to secure the 6-1 victory. 

• Senior Matt Brown-Eiring got the first hit of the game in the opening frame.
• Rizzo retired the Tribe in order to begin the game.
• The Tribe led the second inning off with a double and would score with two outs on a wild pitch. 
• Stony Brook responded right back with a run of their own in the third inning. Miceli led the inning with a single and Pilla followed with a single of his own to give the Seawovles two runners on with one out. B. Paulsen came up clutch with a two-out knock to tie the game at 1-1. 
• Rizzo retired nine of the next 12 batters to keep the score at 1-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth. 
• After a bunt-hit and error by Stony Brook that allowed a Tribe base runner on third base, William & Mary capitalized on the opportunity with an RBI-knock to re-take the lead. 
• The Tribe scored another run in the seventh from a hit-by-pitch that allowed them to take a 3-1 advantage. 
• In the bottom of the eighth, Ty Saunders got out of a jam by stranding two runners on base. 
• The Seawolves went 1-2-3 in the final frame, as the Tribe secured the doubleheader sweep. 
• Stony Brook pitchers limited William & Mary to just 2-for-11 (.182) with runners in scoring position.
• Stony Brook pitchers faced 38 William & Mary hitters in the game, allowing 12 ground balls and four fly balls while striking out seven.

UP NEXT
Stony Brook and William & Mary wrap up the three-game series on Sunday, March 24 in Virginia. First pitch is tentatively scheduled for 1 p.m., with the series finale streaming live on FloBaseball. 

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