#2 Charlotte Wilmoth scored eight points for her team during Sunday's game.
Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics
Stony Brook women’s lacrosse scored nine of the game’s final 10 goals to pick up its sixth win of the season, defeating the Delaware Blue Hens 16-8 in Newark, Del. on March 23. The Seawolves improve to 6-3 on the season and a perfect 2-0 in CAA action.
It was a team-effort for the Seawolves offensively as Charlotte Wilmoth led the Stony Brook squad with a season-high eight points on four goals and four assists, as Riley McDonald and Alexandra Fusco each tallied three goals. Molly LaForge and Casey Colbert notched a pair apiece, while Isabella Caporuscio and Olivia Schorr each scored one goal.
Defensively, Avery Hines collected a team-high four ground balls and four caused turnovers. In net, Natalia Altebrando continued her string of successful outings, making a career-high eight saves on the day with her third-straight contest with a .500 save percentage.
After a Delaware tally to start the game, A. Fusco notched a goal to tie it up early. The Blue Hens then got their second of the day as it became a back-and-forth affair with the Seawolves collecting a pair of goals for their first lead. Delaware answered with two of their own to take a 4-3 advantage into the second quarter.
Stony Brook scored four with Molly LaForge scoring her first of the season and Wilmoth collecting a quick hat trick with three straight. The Blue Hens’ Ella Rishko would score at the buzzer to bring Delaware back within one and the Seawolves led 7-6 at halftime.
The Blue Hens added another coming back from the break to level the score 7-all, as Stony Brook went on a 7-0 scoring run through almost 15 minutes of play to conclude the third quarter and continue into the fourth.
Delaware got one more on the board before a pair from the Seawolves to close out the Sunday matinee and secure their second CAA victory of the season.
The team heads back to Long Island to begin a three-game homestand on March 26.
Suffolk County Ballpark receives new field, mound, bullpens and outfield wall
Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine and Long Island Ducks team officials have announced the completion of a new turf field installation at Fairfield Properties Ballpark, 3 Court House Drive, Central Islip, home of the Atlantic League ball club. The new FieldTurf playing surface, installed by local supplier LandTek, will begin to be utilized this April for the Ducks 25th Anniversary Season on Long Island.
“This Capital Improvement is part of the ongoing effort by the County of Suffolk to update County buildings while keeping Fairfield Properties Ballpark operating at the highest professional level in partnership with the Long Island Ducks,” said Romaine. “The new turf field will improve efficiency greatly, save millions of gallons of water per year, and be more environmentally friendly, eliminating the need for fertilizer and chemicals on the playing surface in future seasons.”
The field renovation included full replacement of the entire playing surface, pitching mound, bullpens and padded outfield wall. With the conversion to an artificial surface, the Ducks are now the eighth team in the 10-team Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, a Partner League of Major League Baseball, to convert to turf.
“Keeping our ballpark atop the list of favored destinations for Major League players looking to continue their careers is important,” said Ducks President/Chief Business Officer Michael Pfaff. “This project, along with our commitment to keeping ticket prices affordable and parking free, allow us to continue to deliver on our promise of providing the most fun, fan friendly and affordable entertainment experience on Long Island for many years to come.”
The Ducks open the 2025 regular season, presented by Catholic Health, on Friday, April 25, against the Lancaster Stormers. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m., with the Fairfield Properties Ballpark gates opening at 5:35 (5:20 for full season ticket holders). Tickets for all Ducks games are now available and can be purchased by visiting the ballpark box office, calling (631) 940-TIXX or going online to LIDucks.com.
The Long Island Ducks are entering their 25th Anniversary season of play in the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Fairfield Properties Ballpark in Central Islip, N.Y. They are the all-time leader in wins and attendance in Atlantic League history, have led all MLB Partner Leagues in total attendance for four consecutive seasons, and have sold out a record 713 games all-time. For further information, visit LIDucks.com or call 631-940-DUCK (3825).
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
Celebrating its third decade, the Atlantic League is Major League Baseball’s first Professional Partner League, a player gateway to the Major Leagues, and a leader in baseball innovation. Over its 26-year history, the ALPB has sent over 1,400 players to MLB organizations while drawing over 47 million fans to its 10 family-friendly ballparks that stretch from New York to North Carolina. Please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.
The Stony Brook baseball team overcame a 3-0 deficit heading into the sixth inning, rallying with six runs over the final four frames to secure a 6-3 victory over the Delaware Blue Hens in Newark, Del. on March 23. This win marks their first CAA victory of the season.
John Rizzo took the mound for Stony Brook, setting the tone early by striking out the first three batters of the game.Both teams managed a double in the second inning—Matthew Jackson for Stony Brook—but neither was able to push a run across.After a one-out single by Delaware in the bottom of the third, Luke Szepek delivered a clutch throw to erase the runner at second, followed by a lineout to end the inning.
The Blue Hens struck first, plating three runs on two hits in the bottom of the fourth.
Following a quick 1-2-3 fifth inning for both teams, Stony Brook ignited a comeback in the sixth, tying the game at 3-3. Evan Goforth sparked the rally with a double to left field, followed by walks from Johnny Pilla and Nico Azpilcueta to load the bases. Jackson came through in the clutch with a two-RBI single up the middle, scoring Goforth and Pilla. Szepek then drew a bases-loaded walk, allowing Azpilcueta to cross the plate and tie the game.
Nicholas Rizzo entered in the bottom of the sixth and worked out of a jam, stranding two Delaware runners with a flyout to end the inning.
In the seventh, Erik Paulsen delivered a game-changing moment, launching a home run into the right-field trees to give the Seawolves a 4-3 lead.
Jacob Pedersen took over on the mound in the seventh, striking out two batters with runners on base and stranding another in the eighth to preserve the lead.
Chris Carson led off the ninth with a double to right field and later scored on a Delaware error. Goforth added insurance with another double to left field, bringing home Matt Miceli and extending Stony Brook’s lead to 6-3.
Pedersen sealed the victory by stranding two more runners in the ninth, forcing a game-ending groundout.
Up next, the team returns home to Joe Nathan Field on April 1 to host Iona. First pitch is set for 3 p.m., with live streaming available on FloBaseball.
The Rocky Point High School cheerleading squad. Photo courtesy of Samantha Ferrara
By Rich Acritelli
Rocky Point High School won the New York State championship in varsity cheerleading on March 8 in Binghamton. Led by the big smile and the can-do attitude of their second-year coach Samantha Ferrara, the girls completed a memorable season. Ferrara is a 23-year-old graduate from this school district. During her first season, they won the nationals in Florida and in the previous year as a junior varsity coach the squad went undefeated.Over the last three years, Ferrara has been a no-nonsense, motivated, drama-free and caring coach.
From 2014 to 2019, Ferrara was an extremely capable “flyer.” As a seventh grader on a national championship team, she was one of the finest cheerleaders in this state as she was recognized with all-division and county honors. In 2018, she was picked as Suffolk County Cheerleader of the Year for her excellence in this sport. Ferrara was recruited by the universities of South Florida and Rhode Island but chose to cheer at Hofstra. After an elbow injury and the pandemic, she decided to retire from cheerleading and transferred to St. Joseph’s College in Patchogue to major in teaching secondary mathematics. Ferrara has already gained a wealth of experience as a substitute teacher at Rocky Point High School and had leave replacements at Baldwin High School and Longwood Junior High School.
This year, Ferrara led a combination of an experienced group of varsity girls and newer faces to replace six key graduates from last year’s team. Ferrara identified the will of this team, as keeping matters light and absorbing what they were taught, and quickly implemented it during practice and against opposing teams. Ferrara is thankful to be coaching at Rocky Point and feels that this position has been a “dream job” utilizing the lessons that were taught to her years ago that “nothing would be handed to you” and “we were taught to be the best.” And next to Ferrara is her trusted assistant Jessica Fleischer, a talented cheerleader and graduate of Sachem North. Both were on the 2018 All Long Island team and they cheered together at Hofstra University. Ferrara enjoys working with Fleischer and views her as an experienced coach.
Ava Almeida. Photo courtest Jonathan Rufa
Another feat accomplished during this year’s winter sports season was through junior Ava Almeida’s pole vaulting. Recently, this outstanding athlete earned a 10-foot height score and, for a second time, represented this school at the winter track and field state championship. Impressively, she tied the school winter record and scored first in Suffolk County and on Long Island. Starting this sport in the ninth grade, Almeida has constantly pushed herself to learn about this event and to follow an upper and lower body weightlifting regimen. Almeida looks back on this season and believes that her hardest competition was against Half Hollow Hills High School West and East Islip High School.
Almeida has been training with Apex Vaulting, which she says has been a tremendous support system. She recognizes the important tutelage of Rocky Point varsity girls coach John Mattia, who ensured that Almeida participated in additional meets. Only in her third year of pole vaulting, Almeida started jumping 7 feet and quickly improved to 10 feet last season. Through her daily schedule of lifting weights for the upper and lower parts of the body and conditioning, there has been tremendous improvement over the last year.
One of the strongest student athletes at Rocky Point High School, she is an honor student and has been placed on the principal’s list. Currently, she takes advanced physics, honors algebra and human anatomy; she plans to pursue a college degree that focuses on becoming a physician’s assistant. As she enters the spring season, Almeida is determined to pole vault 10 feet 6 inches for this outdoor track and field event. Almeida will surely return next season as one of the best pole vaulters on Long Island and perhaps in New York State.
Trevor Green. Photo courtesy the Green family
Trevor Green, a two-sport athlete, will return this fall as one of the best runners in all of Suffolk County. An impressive junior student-athlete, Green has already committed to the University of Minnesota for swimming.
Before the state tournament, Green was recognized as the most outstanding swimmer in Suffolk County and is highly regarded among his peers. Last week for two days, the best swimmers from Buffalo to Montauk traveled to Ithaca. During the first day, the boys swam in the time trials to determine if they would be swimming in the finals and for their lane placement.
Hearing the massive support that Green received from his family, friends and fellow swimmers, for two days Green dominated the pool. It was an exciting event, where these swimmers completed many different events and distances in front of a highly charged crowd of fans. Green swam well, but he expected to do better in his final race event.
Since he was nine years old, Green has emerged as a dominant backstroke and individual medley competitor (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle). Green placed second in the state in the individual medley and third in the state for the backstroke. In ninth grade, Green placed 14th in the 200-yard individual medley and second in the 500 freestyles. As a sophomore, Green took second and 14th in these same events. Next week, Green will be racing against some capable competition in the sectionals that are being held again at Ithaca College.
Heading toward his senior year, Green should be pleased with all his numerous achievements in both running and swimming. Looking at the state championships, Green believed, “I knew there was going to be good competition and would push me to good times. I wanted to rebound off my performance from last year and finish in the top three. I’ve been pushing myself hard in practice and it paid off.”
Congratulations to the mighty athletic results of coach Ferrara and the varsity cheer team, Almeida and Green on their abilities to shine against the rest of the state.
Stony Brook men’s lacrosse dropped a highly contested, back-and-forth matchup at Towson on March 22, 13-12, in overtime. Freshman Brendan Marino led the Seawolves offensively, notching a season-high five goals. Stony Brook came out of the gate hot, opening the game with back-to-back goals from Marino. Towson promptly responded with three straight goals to take a 3-2 lead with 3:48 remaining in the first quarter.
The Tigers’ lead was short-lived. Less than a minute later, Marino scored a goal to secure a first-quarter hat trick and even things at 3-3 heading into the second.
Towson regained momentum early in the second, opening the quarter with a pair of goals to take a 5-3 lead.
The Seawolves answered, closing the second quarter on a 4-2 run. Goals in the final minutes from Kian McCoy and Marino evened things at 7-7 heading into the half.
Richie Dechiaro scored a goal for Stony Brook early in the third quarter to open the second half scoring and take back the the lead for the Seawolves. Following that, Collin Williamson and Robbie Smith each netted two goals, extending the Stony Brook lead to 10-7 with 8:21 left in the third.
Towson scored two out of the following three goals as the Seawolves took an 11-9 advantage in the fourth quarter.
The Tigers scored the first two goals of the fourth to tie the game at 11-11 with 6:55 remaining in regulation. The Seawolves answered back just 34 seconds later with a goal by Justin Bonacci, making it 12-11 in favor of Stony Brook with 6:21 remaining in the fourth.
With just under three minutes to play in regulation, Towson found the back of the net to even things at 12-12 and eventually force overtime.
In sudden death with 3:15 to play, Towson’s Josh Webber buried the game-winner to walk it off for the Tigers.
The team will return to LaValle Stadium next Saturday, March 29 for a matchup against No. 15 Fairfield at noon.
The Stony Brook baseball team jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage, but an eight-run outburst in the third inning by Delaware ultimately propelled the Blue Hens to an 8-1 victory in the series opener on March 21 in Newark, Delaware, marking the start of CAA play for the Seawolves
Erik Paulsen extended his on-base streak to all 19 games this season by recording a hit in the first inning. However, the Blue Hens turned a double play to end the top half of the frame.
Eddie Smink took the mound for Stony Brook, striking out the first batter he faced and stranding a runner to keep Delaware scoreless through one.
The Seawolves struck first in the second inning, as Nico Azpilcueta led off with a walk and Matthew Jackson followed with an RBI double to put Stony Brook ahead 1-0.
After Smink stranded a runner in the second, the Seawolves applied pressure again in the third, loading the bases with two outs, but they were unable to push another run across.
Delaware responded emphatically in the bottom of the third, plating eight runs behind two home runs to seize an 8-1 lead.
Nicholas Rizzo entered the game in relief for Stony Brook in the fourth and tossed a perfect 1-2-3 inning. He followed up in the fifth by stranding two runners, keeping the deficit at 8-1.
Ty Panariello took over in the sixth and struck out all three batters he faced. He continued his dominance by retiring the side in order in both the seventh and eighth innings.
Luke Szepek collected a one-out single in the seventh and advanced to second, but Delaware escaped the inning with a strikeout.
In the ninth, Szepek added another single, and Matt Miceli was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with two outs. However, the Blue Hens closed out the game with a flyout, securing the 8-1 win.
Stony Brook softball survived a late comeback effort from Charleston, defeating the Cougars 5-4 on March 22 at University Field. Emily Reinstein provided the go-ahead, two-RBI double, Jordyn Fray picked up her first collegiate win in relief and Gabrielle Maday staved off Charleston’s late rally to notch the save.
Emma Scheitinger started the scoring in the second inning, jumping the first pitch she saw from Charleston’s Kutter and hitting it off the scoreboard in left field to put Stony Brook ahead, 1-0. The homer was the first of Scheitinger’s collegiate career.
Seawolf starter Maddie Male escaped trouble in the first, stranding the bases loaded, before retiring the side in order in the second.
Male retired two of the first three hitters in her second turn through the Charleston lineup to begin the third inning, but back-to-back two-out singles plated a run and another came around to score on a designed first-and-third steal play.
Fray took over for Male to start the fourth inning, allowing a two-out triple that pushed another run across for Charleston.
Trailing 3-1, the Seawolves scratched across a run in the fourth. Kaiya Simpkins reached safely on a throwing error from the left side of Charleston’s infield and the errant throw allowed Mia Vannelli to score.
Fray set down the Cougars in order in the fifth, sending her offense back out to take claim of the lead again.
Vannelli hit a bloop single into right field with two outs, scoring Kyra McFarland with the tying run. After Scheitinger was hit by a pitch, Charleston turned to its bullpen. Reinstein welcomed the new pitcher with a two-out, two-RBI double into over the centerfielder’s head to give the Seawolves a 5-3 lead.
Maday entered in the sixth to protect the lead, doing so with a clean sixth inning.
After allowing back-to-back singles to start the seventh, Maday secured the first out on a fly ball to right field.
An infield single loaded the bases with one out. Charleston sacrificed an out for a run with another fly ball to right, but could not plate another. Maday induced a grounder to short that McFarland handled and fired to first to secure a win for Stony Brook.
“It was a really tough ballgame and I’m super proud of our team for turning the page after yesterday’s loss, coming out and playing a complete game to get the win today,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said.
Up next, Stony Brook and Charleston play the series finale on Sunday, March 23. First pitch is slated for noon from University Field, streaming live on FloCollege.
After the third unsuccessful sacrifice bunt, #18 Madelyn Stepski singled to put a pair of runners on with one out. Photo from Stony Brook University Athletics
Stony Brook softball dropped its CAA home opener to Charleston, 2-1, on March 22 at University Field. Crimson Rice (six innings, two runs) and Gabrielle Maday (one inning, no runs) pitched well, but the Seawolves’ offense could not get much going against the Cougars in the loss.
Charleston got to Rice early when Paradis homered to center with two outs in the first inning.
The Cougars’ Mathis struck out the side in the home half of the first. Rice elevated her game after allowing the homer in the first, retiring the Cougars in order in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
Emily Reinstein led off the third inning with a single down the third-base line, Stony Brook’s first hit of the game. After a pair of failed sacrifice bunt attempts, Mathis struck out McFarland to end the inning.
Still trailing by a run in the fourth, Naiah Ackerman led off the inning with a base on balls. After the third unsuccessful sacrifice bunt, Madelyn Stepski singled to put a pair of runners on with one out. Stony Brook came away with nothing however after a ground out and a fly out.
Charleston added an insurance run in the sixth against Rice on a two-out single by Paradis.
Kyra McFarland started the sixth with a single, advancing 60 feet on a sacrifice bunt by Ackerman. Mathis clutched up for Charleston, stranding McFarland at second.
Rice’s day in the circle ended after offering a lead-off walk to start the seventh, but Maday entered and struck out a pair to toss a clean inning in relief.
Mia Vannelli got Stony Brook on the board with a solo shot, her second straight game with a homer, to begin the seventh inning.
The next three Seawolves’ hitters were retired, ending a late comeback effort.
“Really tough ballgame. It’s a disappointing loss; we pitched and played well defensively, but we never got anything going offensively,” head coach Megan T. Bryant said.
The Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team made a furious rally through the fourth quarter, but the comeback effort came up just short as the Seawolves suffered a 7-6 defeat to Colorado on March 20 at Prentup Field in Denver, CO.
The Seawolves drop to 5-3 while the Buffaloes won their third straight get back to .500 on the season.
Riley McDonald led the Stony Brook squad with three goals, her sixth straight multi-goal game. Isabella Caporuscio added a pair for the Seawolves, while Julia Fusco notched one.
Defensively, Avery Hines collected four ground balls and a team-high three caused turnovers as Caporuscio tallied a pair each, adding three draw controls. In net, Natalia Altebrando made seven saves on the day, grabbing a team-best five ground balls.
Colorado was led by Madeline Pisani who tallied a hat trick for the Buffs, as Maddie Shoup notched a pair and Morgan Pence and Molly Reed scored one each. Jess Peluso dominated in the circle, winning a game-high seven draw controls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Stony Brook jumped out to a 1-0 lead after a goal from McDonald at 6:09 before Colorado responded with a pair of their own from Pisani and Pence to take a 2-1 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The Buffaloes’ Shoup put another on the board early followed by the trading of goals from McDonald to Pisani then Caporuscio to Shoup again as the Seawolves trailed 5-3 at halftime.
Coming out of the break, Colorado would add another to their multi-goal lead to go up by three as Stony Brook was held to just six shots through the third quarter.
In a fourth quarter comeback effort, the Seawolves got a pair of free position goals from McDonald and Caporuscio over only two minutes of play. Colorado’s Pisani then capitalized to take back a two-goal lead for the Buffs. Stony Brook continued to turn up the intensity as J. Fusco scored down the stretch but ultimately fell short.
The team travels back east to face Delaware on Sunday, March 23 at 12 p.m. with coverage available on FloCollege. The Seawolves are 6-0 all-time against the Blue Hens.
#55 Casey Colbert had three goals and four assists during Tuesday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics
The No. 18 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team began their spring break trip rolling past No. 24 Denver, 17-8, to pick up its first ranked win of the season on March 18 at Peter Barton Stadium in Denver, Colorado.
The Seawolves improved to 5-2 on the season (1-0 CAA) as Denver dropped to 5-4.
Stony Brook was led by Casey Colbert with three goals and four assists for seven points, as Riley McDonaldnotched six points on five goals and one assist. Isabella Caporsucio, Courtney Maclay, and Alexandra Fuscoeach tallied a pair of goals apiece.
The defense was led by Avery Hines who collected five caused turnovers and two ground balls, while Caporuscio had five ground balls, four caused turnovers, and two draw controls.
Denver provided six separate goal scorers in Lauren Black, Lindsay Wilmot, Kyra Obert, Caroline Keil, Olivia Ripple, Eva Thomsen-Marr, and Raegen Wilson. In net, Emelia Bohi got the start, while Lexi Gwaku closed out the contest, collecting seven saves on the day.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Seawolves and Pioneers would get off to a hot start, scoring a game-high eight goals through the first quarter. Stony Brook led 5-3 after the opening frame with goals coming from Charlotte Wilmoth, Maclay, McDonald, A. Fusco, and Caporuscio.
Stony Brook continued to dominate beginning the second quarter with a four-goal scoring run. Denver responding with a pair of their own before heading into intermission with a 9-5 score.
It would be a back-and-forth affair to start the third quarter as the Seawolves tacked on three more and the Pioneers were able to piece together some offense to score a goal to bring it back within six.
No quit from Stony Brook as the squad added five more goals taking their largest lead of the day by 10 with 4:54 remaining. The Pioneers were able to make a last-ditch effort scoring one with about a minute left as Stony Brook secured the 17-8 victory.
“What a great road win against a ranked perennial power in Denver. I’m really excited for our team and coaches since this was a complete team effort and that’s what it takes to win on the road. We had some incredible individual performances as well and our goalie, Natalia Altebrando, was a difference maker,” noted head coach Joe Spallina postgame.
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