STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Stony Brook baseball team broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning - highlighted by a three-run blast from
Erik Paulsen - and rolled to a 12-5 win over Monmouth on Saturday afternoon to celebrate 2025 Senior Day at Joe Nathan Field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Senior John Rizzo got the start on his special day and worked around a two-out walk with a groundout to short to keep Monmouth off the board in the first.
- James Schaffer led off the bottom half with a single and stole second, then scored on a gap shot by Paulsen to give Stony Brook a 1-0 lead. After a popout, Nick Solorzano doubled to right-center to bring home Paulsen and make it 2-0.
- Monmouth answered in the top of the second, scoring two runs on three hits to tie the game at 2-2. Mike Villani led off the bottom half with a walk, but the Seawolves were kept off the board.
- Rizzo came back with a 1-2-3 third, inducing two groundouts. The Seawolves also went down in order.
- In the fourth, Rizzo worked around a one-out single after Solorzano threw out the runner at second with help from Matt Miceli. He issued another walk but stranded the runner with a groundout to short.
- The game stayed tied at 2-2 after a quiet bottom half from the Seawolves.
- Monmouth threatened again in the fifth, putting runners on the corners with two outs after back-to-back hits, but Rizzo escaped the jam with a caught stealing to end the inning.
- Kincaid Bergthold led off the bottom of the frame with a double down the third base line. After Nick Zampieron moved him to third on a bunt, Miceli knocked him in with a single to center. A few batters later, Paulsen crushed a three-run homer to right, giving the Seawolves a 6-2 lead.
- The Hawks cut the lead to 6-4 with a two-run homer in the top of the sixth.
- In the home half, Villani walked and Bergthold was hit by a pitch to start the rally. Miceli doubled down the left field line to bring home Villani, and Schaffer followed with a single to center that scored both Bergthold and Miceli. After Schaffer scored on an error, Cam Santerre ripped a two-run double down the line to cap a six-run inning and push the lead to 12-4.
- Monmouth added a run in the seventh on two hits to trim the deficit to 12-5. The Seawolves were retired in order in the bottom half.
- After a Monmouth leadoff double in the eighth, Matthew Jackson and Miceli connected with Solorzano at the plate to cut down the runner trying to score. Vincent Mariella induced a groundout to first to end the inning and keep the lead intact.
- Following another quick bottom of the eighth, Monmouth opened the ninth with back-to-back hits. Mariella received a standing ovation as he exited the game, and Aidan Colagrande came on in relief. Solorzano picked off the runner at first for the first out, and after a hit-by-pitch, Colagrande closed it out with a flyout and a strikeout to seal the sweep.
STATS AND NOTES
- Head coach Matt Senk earned his 970th career win in his 1,666th game. He finishes his career seventh among active head coaches in victories and is the only active Division I coach to win 970 games at a single program.
- Schaffer capped a dominant weekend with nine hits, going 3-for-5 with a career-high three runs and tying his career best with two RBIs.
- Paulsen collected his 23rd multi-hit game of the year, going 2-for-4 with three runs, a three-run homer (his ninth), and four RBIs—one shy of his season high.
- Solorzano went 1-for-3 with a double, RBI, and run scored.
- Santerre notched his second multi-RBI game of the season, driving in two with a double.
- Miceli recorded a hit in every game of the series, finishing 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs, and two runs.
- Bergthold started in right field, scored twice, and registered a double.
- J. Rizzo made his 12th start of the season, allowing four runs over 5.1 innings to earn his team-leading fifth win.
- Mariella gave up one run in 2.2 innings of relief.
- Colagrande tossed a scoreless ninth, marking his fifth scoreless outing of the season.
- The Seawolves went 8-for-17 (.471) with runners on base, 7-for-11 (.636) with runners in scoring position, and 4-for-8 (.500) leading off innings.
- With the victory, Stony Brook completed the weekend sweep and improved to 9-3 all-time against Monmouth.
- The Seawolves concluded the 2025 season at 25-27 overall (11-16 CAA), including a 13-11 mark at Joe Nathan Field.
Stay tuned for additional coverage and Senior Day highlights.
