STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Erik Paulsen played hero on Friday afternoon, delivering a walk-off single in the bottom of the 11th inning to lift the Stony Brook baseball team to a thrilling 8-7 win over Monmouth at Joe Nathan Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Right-hander Eddie Smink made his team-leading 14th start and worked around a bases-loaded jam in the first, escaping with a strikeout and a flyout.
- Stony Brook jumped ahead in the bottom half, as Paulsen drew a one-out walk and Nico Azpilcueta followed with his CAA-leading 19th home run of the season to give the Seawolves a 2-0 lead.
- Chanz Doughty opened the second with a double off the left field wall, and after a walk to Chris Carson, James Schaffer delivered a two-out RBI single to push the lead to 3-0.
- Monmouth got a run back in the third, but Stony Brook's defense came up big as Doughty, Paulsen, and Luke Szepek combined to cut down a runner at the plate.
- In the fourth, Carson reached on an infield single and came around to score on a Miceli bunt single and subsequent error. Azpilcueta drove in Miceli with a groundout to make it 5-1.
- Reliever Jacob Pedersen was sharp over 4.0 innings of work, striking out six and allowing just one run. He stranded runners in scoring position in both the fifth and sixth innings.
- Schaffer led off the sixth with a single and stole second, then scored on Paulsen's RBI single to extend the lead to 6-1.
- Monmouth responded with a six-run seventh inning, stringing together three straight singles before a pitching change. George Adams entered but Monmouth added four more runs to tie the game at 6-6.
- Stony Brook bounced back in the eighth. Three one-out walks to Jackson, Pilla, and Doughty loaded the bases for Szepek, who forced in the go-ahead run with an RBI walk to make it 7-6.
- The Hawks tied it again in the top of the ninth with a sac fly. Matthew Canizares entered with two on and limited the damage by stranding runners on the corners with a groundout.
- Stony Brook had a chance in the ninth after Schaffer's one-out single, but he was caught stealing before Monmouth struck out the final batter to force extras.
- Canizares returned in the 10th and retired the side in order. Jackson and Pilla both walked in the bottom half, but Stony Brook couldn't capitalize.
- The right-hander continued to deal in the 11th with another 1-2-3 inning, setting the stage for the dramatic finish.
- Carson opened the bottom of the 11th with a single, Miceli walked, and Schaffer added an infield hit to load the bases. Paulsen then delivered the game-winning single to left, scoring Carson and giving the Seawolves a much-needed 8-7 victory.
STATS AND NOTES
- Schaffer tallied a career-high four hits, going 4-for-7 with an RBI and a run scored in the leadoff spot.
- Azpilcueta belted his 19th home run of the season and now leads the CAA in both home runs (19) and RBI (59).
- Carson matched his season high in hits with a 4-for-5 day, scoring three times.
- Paulsen finished 2-for-5 with two RBI, including the game-winner. He leads the team with 21 multi-hit games and has 11 multi-RBI efforts this season.
- Chanz Doughty and Matt Miceli also recorded hits in the victory.
- Pedersen's 4.0 innings were his longest outing since April 19. He allowed one run and struck out six without issuing a walk.
- Canizares earned the win with 3.0 hitless innings, striking out one and facing the minimum.
- Smink made his team-high 14th start of the season this afternoon. Before his departure, the right-hander allowed one run over 2.0 innings, striking out three batters in the victory.
- Stony Brook drew a season-high 12 walks and was hit by four pitches, matching a season best.
- The Seawolves went 7-for-21 (.333) with runners on base and 2-for-4 (.500) with runners on third and less than two outs.
- Stony Brook improved to 7-3 all-time against Monmouth.
NEXT UP
The Seawolves continue their weekend series against Monmouth on Saturday afternoon. First pitch at Joe Nathan Field is set for 1:00 p.m. and the game will stream live on FloCollege.
