NORFOLK, Va. - The Seawolves split day one of the Battle at the Bay after bouncing back from a 2-0 loss to Maine with a dominant 5-1 win over the hosts Norfolk State to claim their first win of 2026.

How It Happened (Game 1 vs. Maine)

• Aubrey Jepson went toe-to-toe with Maine's starter Alysen Reith, beginning her day by throwing three shutout innings, striking out three and allowing just one hit.
• Meanwhile, Stony Brook's offense was also stymied early on, behind held hitless through the first three innings. Ultimately it was the Black Bears who managed to strike first, plating two in the top of the fourth on a pair of extra-base hits.
• Mia Vannelli broke up the no-hit bid in the top of the fourth with a single through the right side. Though she later advanced to third, the Seawolves were unable to bring her home. Stony Brook would get two more hits in the sixth and seventh, courtesy of Elena Gonzalez and Ella Hayes. Despite getting runners in scoring position in both innings, however, the Seawolves came away empty handed in the shutout loss.

• After Jayci Finch collected back-to-back strikeouts to end a 1-2-3 first inning, the Seawolves tagged the Spartans for two runs in the top of the second on an RBI single from Marissa Thallasinos and a sac fly from Gonzalez.
• With the lead in tow, Finch tossed two more no-hit innings, before working around a single and a walk in the fourth to keep it a 2-0 game. 
• Stony Brook added another run in the fifth after Gonzalez led off the inning with a single and came around to score on a Rachael Brown hit to left. 
• Though Norfolk State was able to break the shutout with an unearned run in the bottom of the sixth, the Seawolves picked up two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh with Gonzalez again leading things off, this time with a double. A hit from Vanelli and a walk by Malorie Hill would load the bases, at which point Hayes and Karri Pritchard got a couple of free passes to first to extend the lead to 5-1. 
• Finch came back out for the seventh and once again retired the side in order to secure Stony Brook's first win.

Stats and Notes

• Jepson recorded a season high eight strikeouts and 6.2 innings pitched in game one. Through her first 10 career appearances, she has a 3.89 ERA with team highs in strikeouts (22) and innings (27).
• Vannelli reached base in all three of her plate appearances against Maine and has now recorded a hit in five straight games.
• Finch went seven innings without allowing an earned run and striking out five in her first win as a Seawolf.
• Across both games, Gonzalez went 3-for-6 with two runs and one RBI.

Up Next
The Seawolves continue the Battle at the Bay tomorrow at noon as they take on Quinnipiac in their lone game of the day.

For an inside look at the Stony Brook softball program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.