WILMINGTON, N.C. – The Seawolves held leads in both games of Saturday's doubleheader, but UNCW rallied late in each contest to sweep the twin bill, defeating Stony Brook 7-3 in both games at Brooks Field.
GAME ONE: UNCW 7, STONY BROOK 3
- Stony Brook threatened early, loading the bases in the top of the first after Matt Jackson led off with a single, but UNCW escaped the jam unscathed. The Seahawks then struck first with a leadoff homer in the bottom half of the inning.
- Right-hander John Rizzo settled in after that, retiring six straight batters and working around a leadoff double in the fourth to keep the score at 1-0.
- The Seawolves broke through in the fifth. After Matt Miceli reached on an error and moved to second, Jackson drove him in with a single up the middle to tie the game.
- In the sixth, Nico Azpilcueta singled and Cam Santerre followed with a double down the left field line. Nick Solorzano brought in the go-ahead run with a groundout, giving Stony Brook a 2-1 lead.
- But the Seahawks responded with a six-run bottom of the seventh to take control.
- Johnny Pilla doubled to start the ninth and later scored on a James Schaffer pinch-hit single, but UNCW closed out the 7-3 win.
GAME TWO: UNCW 7, STONY BROOK 3
- The Seawolves jumped ahead in game two. Erik Paulsen singled and Matthew Jackson walked in the first, but UNCW stranded both runners. Left-hander Nick Rizzo made the start and got out of the first with help from Santerre and Pilla, who combined with Scott Gell for an inning-ending play at the plate.
- Santerre added a single in the second before Rizzo tossed a 1-2-3 bottom half.
- Schaffer opened the third with a walk, stole second, and moved up on a flyout before Azpilcueta plated him with a sac fly. Jackson followed with a solo homer, giving Stony Brook a 2-0 lead.
- UNCW answered with two runs in the bottom of the third and added another in the fourth to go up 3-2.
- The Seawolves responded in the fifth as Schaffer singled and scored on a double by Paulsen to tie the game at 3-3. But the Seahawks again pulled ahead, plating three in the bottom half for a 6-3 edge.
- Matthew Canizares pitched a clean sixth with a strikeout, and Jackson and Pilla each singled in the seventh, but Stony Brook couldn't bring them in. UNCW added one more in the seventh to close the scoring.
- George Adams recorded the final two outs for Stony Brook, stranding a runner with a strikeout-throwout double play.
- The Seawolves went down in order in the ninth as UNCW secured its second 7-3 win of the day.
NEXT UP
Stony Brook returns home for its final regular season series, hosting Monmouth beginning Thursday at Joe Nathan Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on FloCollege.