Photo courtesy of Stony Brook University Athletics
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 May 17 to celebrate 2025 Senior Day at Joe Nathan Field.
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.
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.
The Seawolves concluded the 2025 season at 25-27 overall (11-16 CAA), including a 13-11 mark at Joe Nathan Field.
This summer marks a major milestone as the StonyBrookFilmFestival celebrates its 30th anniversary at Stony Brook University’s Staller Center for the Arts. Running from Thursday, July 17, through Saturday, July 26, audiences are invited to experience ten nights of extraordinary films from around the world, including world premieres, U.S. debuts, and must-sees that you cannot see anywhere else.
Early Bird Passes are on sale now, offering the best value for access to the film screenings and festival events. Pass options include the VIP Gold Pass, Regular Pass, and the Flex Pass, which grants access to any five days of the festival. Whether you’re a longtime attendee or a first-time guest, there’s a pass to match your interest and availability. Pass prices increase after June 9, so film lovers are encouraged to secure their passes early for the best price at stonybrookfilmfestival.com.
What began in 1995 as a modest campus initiative to enliven the quiet summer months has grown into a nationally recognized festival known for its bold storytelling and strong community of filmmakers and filmgoers. Over the past three decades, the festival has remained a champion of hard-to-find films, selected from over 2,000 annual submissions, and continues to thrive as a live, in-theater experience. This year’s lineup features 36 amazing short films and powerful feature-length dramas, thrillers, and comedies—many of which are screening for the very first time. These exceptional American independent and international titles cannot be seen in local theaters or streamed on any platform. They are only available on the region’s largest screen at Staller.
All passholders receive guaranteed Priority Seating, entry to filmmaker Q&As, eligibility to vote for the Audience Choice Awards, discounts at local partner businesses, and a commemorative festival gift. Each pass level includes its own set of perks, which can be found at stonybrookfilmfestival.com/pass.
Take this opportunity to be part of a cinematic tradition 30 years in the making. For more information and to purchase Early Bird Passes, visit stonybrookfilmfestival.com.
If an amusement park suddenly changed the criteria that would allow visitors to ride on a roller coaster or log flume, the number of potential customers would suddenly climb.
The same holds true for the number of people whom doctors are diagnosing with autism.
Over time, health care professionals have changed the definition of autism, recognizing the heterogeneous nature of a diagnosis that is often different from one individual to the next.
Debra Reicher. Photo courtesy Stony Brook University
Recently, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the head of Health and Human Services, suggested that he planned to share a detailed analysis of autism by this September to explain the increase in the number of people who receive such a diagnosis.
Based on numerous reports, Kennedy indicated he would present research findings at the end of the summer that explains why and how the number of cases of autism and other childhood chronic diseases has risen.
“The biggest, most widely agreed reason for the increase in numbers is the broadening of the diagnostic criteria,” said Debra Reicher, Clinical Psychologist and Assistant Professor at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.
Over her 35 years in the field of autism, Reicher said the definition of autism has changed.
“We are getting better at diagnosing people at the higher end of the spectrum,” she said.
When Reicher started in the field, about 80 percent of those diagnosed with autism also had an intellectual developmental disorder or cognitive delay. That is currently closer to 40 percent.
“We are getting better at identifying people who have good cognitive skills,” and who have autism, Reicher added.
Over time, the male-female gap has also narrowed. Historically, boys and men were more likely to receive an autism diagnosis.
Clinicians are getting better at understanding the presentation of autism in females, who have different symptoms that can fly under the radar.
Girls are more likely to “mask or camouflage” autism, which physicians might miss, Reicher added.
Matthew Lerner
People are also more aware of autism as a diagnosis.
“Young parents are tracking their child’s development and are asking their pediatricians questions,” Reicher said. That leads to earlier detection.
On a smaller but not insignificant level, some studies suggest that older ages of fathers can also contribute to autism.
“Advanced paternal age is a statistically significant predicator of increased rates of autism,” said Matthew Lerner, Research Associate Professor and Research Director of the Autism Initiative at Stony Brook University.
Premature babies, who are much more likely to survive today than they were even a few decades ago, can also receive an autism diagnosis as they develop.
More support
At the same time, health systems are not only more actively screening for autism, but they are also providing more support and benefits.
By offering people and their families services, these health care systems are providing people with autism care, making a diagnosis a potential starting point for more care.
“If somebody was diagnosed with autism in the 1980s, there weren’t a lot of things that folks could do,” said Lerner, who is also Associate Professor and Leader of the Life Course Outcomes Program Area at the AJ Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University.
Some research also suggests a correlation between environmental exposure or pollutants and the incidence of the condition.
Researchers, however,caution that a correlation doesn’t necessarily indicate a causation, which is a significant challenge in the world of science and medicine.
A correlation may or may not be relevant in the context of a disease or the treatment for it. Researchers who can conclude based on larger and statistically significant samples a cause between something like environmental exposure and a disease can reduce the likelihood of a condition.
To be sure, despite considerable chatter through online forums, the Internet and people who have limited or no medical expertise, people in the autism field have not seen any evidence that vaccines for diseases like measles have any connection with autism.
The studies that were done in the 90s and early 2000s that suggested a potential link between autism and vaccines were biased and were eventually retracted in a journal, Reicher said.
“Research shows no difference in the rates of autism between vaccinated and unvaccinated children,” she added.
Some new or expectant mothers are hesitating to give their children a measles, mumps and rubella shot.
Reicher urges parents to study the issue carefully and to provide the kind of protection that will prevent the spread of infectious diseases and the lifelong consequences of contracting measles.
Reicher suggested that some of the fear comes from the fact that MMR is given around the time physicians recognize the symptoms of autism.
“With vaccines, there’s no evidence to support” a connection with autism, Reicher added.
New research
Researchers and clinicians welcomed the possibility of new studies that might help the heterogeneous community of people with autism.
New work done with “rigorous science that have reputable approaches and ask meaningful questions” could be “fantastic” for people with autism and their support networks, Lerner said.
To be sure, Lerner doesn’t anticipate any major findings in the development of autism, particularly in the context of vaccines or any other speculation that researchers have tested for decades.
The notion that significant studies from around the world that thousands of researchers conducted over the course of decades would suddenly be overturned in the next four months “seems highly implausible,” he said.
Lerner hopes that any focus on autism research that the current administration conducts respects and adheres to the level of rigor necessary to make any changes in diagnosis, treatment or potential causes.
At this point, Reicher, who has spent decades working with a wide range of people with autism, has seen many people with autism live “wonderful, successful, fulfilling lives.” People with autism are “making huge contributions to the arts, to science and to everything in between.”
Understanding and enhancing an awareness of autism through well-documented and rigorous research could help some people with the diagnosis, although a one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for a larger population that has different symptoms and needs.
Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Science on Stage member Heather Lynch
The League of Women Voters of Brookhaven will welcome renowned Stony Brook University scientist Heather Lynch to speak at their monthly meeting at Comsewogue Public Library, 170 Terryville Road, Port Jefferson Station on Friday, May 16 at 1 p.m.
Many of the medicines and products that we rely on have been created by scientists working on research grants from the federal or state government.
Lynch, a quantitative ecologist and a professor at Stony Brook University, will speak on “The role of grants to universities: How are they selected and monitored?” and “How will current changes to grant funding impact our scientific competitiveness?”
Dr. Lynch is the Institute for Advanced Computational Sciences Endowed Chair for Ecology and Evolution and leads the Collaborative for the Earth, which facilitates university-wide research, education, and public policy engagement around global environmental crises. Her research is dedicated to the population dynamics of Antarctic wildlife, with a particular focus on penguins and other seabirds.
Dr. Lynch’s research in Antarctica has been funded by a range of federal and non-governmental organizations, including through a National Science Foundation Career award—the most prestigious NSF award that supports early career faculty. Dr. Lynch was the first ecologist ever to win the Blavatnik National Medal for Life Sciences, the world’s largest unrestricted prize for young scientists.
All are welcome to attend this event. No reservations necessary. For more information, call 631-928-1212.
Nursing students use mannequins and hospital equipment to train for various health care challenges for future patients. Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine
Using immersive virtual reality that simulate real-world healthcare settings in a simulated hospital room, emergency room, intensive care unit or patient homes, nursing students use technology to train in a low-stress setting. Photo from Stony Brook Medicine
Nursing students use mannequins and hospital equipment to train for various health care challenges for future patients. Photo by Jeanne Neville/Stony Brook Medicine
By Daniel Dunaief
Dr. Patricia Bruckenthal Photo from Stony Brook School of Nursing
People put their lives in the hands of unseen airline pilots who have enhanced and sharpened their skills using simulators. These simulators can prepare them for a wide range of conditions and unexpected challenges that enhance their confidence on the fly.
The same approach holds true for nurses, who seek to help patients whose symptoms may change even as the nurse is working with several people at the same time.
In an initiative designed to provide in depth training to nurses throughout the state, while filling a shortage of these vital professionals, New York State recently announced a $62 million contribution to three nursing simulation centers: SUNY Buffalo, SUNY Canton and Stony Brook University. With $10 million of state funds that the university will match with $10.5 million of its own money, SBU will increase the number of nurses it trains.
“We are very fortunate here at Stony Brook that we get many, many qualified applicants for our nursing program [for whom] we have not, to date, been able to offer seats,” said Dr. Patricia Bruckenthal, Dean of the School of Nursing at Stony Brook. This will enable the school, as well as the other programs, to train more students.
Effective training
While Stony Brook offers nursing simulation training, the additional funds will greatly expand the size and scope of that effort.
The NEXUS-Innovation Center, which stands for Nursing EXcellence Using Simulation, will take about two years to build and will have a phased in enrollment approach. In the third year, the school will add 56 baccalaureate nursing students. In the fifth year, Stony Brook will have space for 80 more students.
The current simulation center is about 1,850 square feet, which includes a nursing skills lab, exam room and debrief/ flex room.
The new center will add 15,000 square feet.
The simulation center will have 16 hospital style beds, with all the equipment nurses would normally see in a hospital room, including suction, air, oxygen, otoscope, ophthalmoscope, monitoring, and a call bell system. The center will also have eight examination rooms.
The proposal also includes the design of an apartment with a laundry, kitchen, bathroom and shower, helping train nurses who will help people in residential settings.
Among other features, the center will have a control room where instructors and operators manipulate the AV equipment and patient simulations, observe and document performance, collect data and prepare for debriefing.
Bruckenthal is planning to hire a faculty member in the next few months to become simulation coordinator who will work with the Director of the Learning Resource Center.
Within the next two years, Stony Brook anticipates hiring one more nursing faculty Clinical Simulation Educator and one Simulation Operations Specialist, who will ensure that all technical aspects of the center are functioning correctly. This new hire will also troubleshoot equipment, while performing emergency repairs on equipment and arranging for vendor repairs.
All of this equipment and expertise provides opportunities to create scenarios that build expertise. The conditions can change, as a patient goes from an expected outcome to one in which the conditions rapidly deteriorate.
In addition to expanding capacity and giving nurses an opportunity to understand and react to patients who have a wide range of conditions they might not see during routine clinical training, the center will also enable these students to build their competence and confidence in a low-stakes environment.
“It provides for a safe learning environment,” said Bruckenthal. “Students can make mistakes without risking patient safety. It’s much less stressful.”
Future nurses can also continue to work in the simulation lab on a particular skill until they feel confident in their abilities.
Several studies have validated the effectiveness of educating and preparing nurses in a simulated setting.
A landmark study in 2014 conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing compared the clinical competence of nurses in training across three groups: one that had no simulation training, a group with 25 percent of their clinical training replaced by simulation, and a third group with 50 percent clinical training through simulation.
The nursing certification pass rate scores were the same for all three groups. Simulation trained nurses performed as well or better in areas like critical thinking and clinical judgment.
Additionally, follow up studies showed that employers found that nurses trained using high fidelity simulation were just as effective as those who were trained in the clinic in areas including patient safety, communication and evidence-based practices..
The center can also pivot to provide nurses with training for expanding local health threats, such as a simulated version of a measles outbreak, Lyme disease or a spike in other conditions that might cause a surge in hospital visits.
“We can build and design cases that meet those needs,” said Bruckenthal.
The center can build in disaster training, giving nurses a chance to interact with colleagues in other health professions during any of a host of other scenarios. When interacting with other healthcare professionals, nurses can practices the SBAR technique, in which they describe the Situation, provide Background, give an Assessment, and offer a Recommendation.
The expanded simulation center will incorporate design elements such as soundproofing, lighting and ventilation and will align with the university’s goals towards sustainability and green-oriented design.
Long term commitment
Bruckenthal has been contributing to Stony Brook for 44 years, ever since she graduated from the nursing school in 1981.
Her first job as a nurse was at the newly opened hospital. She and Carolyn Santora, Stony Brook Medicine Chief Nursing Officer, have worked together since 1981 and went through the Stony Brook master’s program together. They have established the Stony Brook Nursing Alliance.
Bruckenthal is energized by the opportunities ahead.
“Nursing is one of those careers where you can always keep yourself new and find new and exciting opportunities,” she said.
In the early days of her nursing career, she recalled that nurses weren’t exposed to all the types of conditions they might face in various settings.
“Having the opportunity to have nurses practice in this low risk environment and build that confidence and skills is a better way to prepare nurses to be ready for the work force,” she said
With nurses involved in so many aspects of patient care, Bruckenthal dreams of creating a nursing innovation incubator.
Nurses can offer insights into developing innovative ways to improve health care, whether working with biomedical engineers or biomedical informatics and can help design human-centered technology. Such a center could allow nurses to learn more about technology and business while enabling them to become leaders and entrepreneurs.
“Nurses have a problem-solving mindset,” Bruckenthal explained. “Sustainable and scalable solutions are really going to take a joint effort between educators, clinicians and industry partners.”
Esther Takeuchi. Photo by Roger Stoutenburgh/Brookhaven National Laboratory
By Daniel Dunaief
Daniel Dunaief
Esther Takeuchi has won numerous awards and received plenty of honors for her work.
In 2009, President Barack Obama presented her with a National Medal of Technology and Innovation, the highest honor possible for technological achievement in the country.
She has also been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,received the 2013 E.V. Murphree Award in Industrial and Engineering Chemistry from the American Chemical Society and was selected as a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, among others.
Takeuchi, who has over 150 patents to her name and is Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Chemical Engineering at Stony Brook University and Chair of the Interdisciplinary Science Department at Brookhaven National Laboratory, spoke with Times Beacon Record News Media about a range of topics.
“In the long run, I think energy storage can significantly improve energy availability and affordability,” said Takeuchi. “We end up throwing a lot of [energy] away.”
Indeed, in a widely cited statistic based on a 2021 study, 65 percent of energy produced is thrown away. Energy from any source, whether it’s fossil fuels, sunlight, wind or nuclear, is inefficient, with losses from heat, limitations on technology, friction with machinery and incomplete combustion, among a host of factors.
“Let’s use it more effectively, where we can follow the load,” urged Takeuchi.
At the same time, Takeuchi recognizes the importance of ensuring the safety of energy storage, including for the proposed storage facilities in Setauket.
“The Fire Department and police need to be brought into the discussion,” she said. “A lot of these folks are extremely knowledgeable.”
Community education, involvement and awareness is necessary for any such project, ensuring that the appropriate people are informed and know how to respond to any crisis.
Energy needs
Future energy needs are considerably higher than they are today, thanks to the demands of artificial intelligence.
Large data centers that house the kinds of information necessary for AI are “incredibly power hungry,” Takeuchi said. If AI continues to expand at the current pace, it alone will use more energy than the world makes today.
“We need to have broader sources of energy” so it is available, she added. “Where is going to come from?”
Indeed, Takeuchi and her collaborators are working on energy storage that doesn’t use the kind of lithium-ion batteries that power much of consumer electronics. Lithium ion batteries are compact and are highly reactive, packing energy into a small volume. If something goes wrong, these batteries are flammable.
“We are working on a project at Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory where we’ve demonstrated electrolytes that don’t burn at all,” she said. “You can put a butane lighter on them and they won’t burn.”
To be sure, these batteries, which would be larger than the current systems, are a “long way” from commercialization, but it’s possible.
Still, Takeuchi is excited about rechargeable water-based batteries. She’s focused on making sure the materials are elements that are used broadly, instead of exotic materials mined in only one place on Earth. She’s also looking to create a cycle life that’s as high as possible.
Aqueous materials have a lower cycle life. She and her team are trying to understand why and overcome those challenges, which would enable these batteries to be recharged more times before degrading.
Funding environment
The current funding environment for science and technology has reached an uncertain time, Takeuchi said.
“One of the ways the United States has been so effective at competing economically on a global level is through science and technology,” she said. During many decades, the country has been an innovation leader as measured by the number of patents issued.
Driven by the Manhattan Project that built the atomic bomb, by frenzied competition with the Soviet Union after the launch of Sputnik in October of 1957 amid the Cold War, and by the drive to send people to the moon in the 1960’s, the country has attracted top talent from around the world while making important discoveries and creating new technology. Realizing that science and technology is a driver of future commercial and economic growth, other countries have been actively recruiting scientists concerned about the future funding landscape to their countries. This creates the potential for a brain drain.
If the United States gives up its leadership position when other nations are charging ahead, it could take a long time to recover the current standing, not to mention to mirror the successes and personal and professional opportunities from previous generations, said Takeuchi.
“Science is critical to lead us to the future we all want to live in,” she added.
Ward Melville’s Claudine Weiner was named a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from Stony Brook University. Photo courtesy of The Three Village Central School District
The Three Village Central School District recently congratulated Claudine Weiner of Ward Melville High School on being named a recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award from Stony Brook University.
Mrs. Weiner has long been a valued member of the Three Village school community, serving with distinction as both a science teacher and athletic trainer. Her unwavering commitment to students and athletes has earned her the admiration and respect of colleagues, families and the broader school community, according to a press release.
From the classroom to the athletic fields, Mrs. Weiner’s dedication, compassion and expertise have left a meaningful and lasting impact. Her recognition by Stony Brook University is a testament to the remarkable contributions she has made in education and athletic training.
“The district proudly celebrates this honor and extends sincere thanks to Mrs. Weiner for her continued service and excellence,” read the release.
Anissa Abi-Dargham, MD. Photo by Jeanne Neville, Stony Brook Medicine
Anissa Abi-Dargham, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor of Psychiatry and Radiology, and the Lourie Endowed Chair of the Department Psychiatry and Behavioral Health in the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University, will receive the 2025 Award for Research in Psychiatry from the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
According to the APA, the Award for Research in Psychiatry recognizes a single distinguished contribution, a body of work, or a lifetime contribution that has had a major impact on the field and/or altered the practice of psychiatry.
Dr. Abi-Dargham is being recognized by the APA with the Award for Research in Psychiatry for her distinguished contributions over her career to schizophrenia research, which has had a major impact on the field. She will receive the award at the APA’s annual meeting on May 19 in Los Angeles.
“I am very honored and grateful to receive this award and be able to present the work of many trainees and collaborators I have had the privilege to work with over the course of my career,” says Dr. Abi-Dargham, also Associate Dean and Associate Vice President for Clinical and Translational Science at the RSOM.
“It is a pleasure to work with such talented and dedicated scientists and to contribute to the discovery process,” she adds. “This award is very meaningful, particularly at a time when research is facing many challenges.”
At Stony Brook since 2016, Dr. Abi-Dargham’s clinical and research expertise is in molecular imaging, pharmacology, schizophrenia, and addiction. The broad focus of her research within the RSOM is to advance the understanding of the neurobiology of severe mental illness, with one approach being investigation of molecular markers and their functional significance as measured with multi-modal imaging approaches.
The Setauket resident also oversees a multidisciplinary team with expertise in several types of neuroimaging techniques used in tandem to address important questions about brain mechanisms and schizophrenia.
During the APA annual meeting, Dr. Abi-Dargham will deliver a lecture to the nation’s APA members titled “Misfiring signals: Dopamine Dysfunction in Schizophrenia – From Neural Pathways to Behavioral Manifestations.”
Stony Brook baseball held leads in both games of May 10th’s doubleheader, but UNCW rallied late in each contest to sweep the twin bill, defeating the Seawolves 7-3 in both games at Brooks Field in Wilmington, N.C.
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.
The team returns home for its final regular season series, hosting Monmouth beginning May 15 at Joe Nathan Field. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on FloCollege.
The No. 18 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team saw its 2025 season come to a close on May 11 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to No. 2 Boston College by a final score of 10-7 in Chestnut Hill, Mass. The Seawolves posted 16 victories this season and earned their 12th consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Stony Brook was held scoreless through the first 25:02 of the game as Boston College went on a 6-0 scoring run. Through that time, the Seawolves were able to fire off seven shots with three hitting the post, three being saved, and one going wide in total.
Charlotte Wilmoth was able to open scoring for the Stony Brook squad with a goal from the doorstep, dished out by Casey Colbert at the 4:58 mark. Less than two minutes later, Courtney Maclay would find an open Olivia Schorr cutting to the crease for back-to-back Seawolves’ goals. The Eagles closed out the first half with a last second free position goal as Stony Brook trailed 7-2 heading into the break.
The Seawolves carried their momentum into the second half as Kylie Budke notched a free position goal at 12:34 in the third quarter, continuing to close in on the Eagles’ advantage. Boston College responded with another goal before Stony Brook went on a 3-0 scoring run between the third and fourth quarter courtesy of Wilmoth, Maclay, and Haydin Eisfeld to get back within two with 12:49 remaining in the contest.
The Eagles’ leading scorer, Rachel Clark, scored on a free position to take a three-goal lead, as Maclay recorded her second of the day to get the Seawolves back within two. Stony Brook would ultimately pull the goalie to get an extra defender in and time was running out on the Seawolves’ comeback. Boston College would score on an empty net with 52 seconds remaining as Stony Brook faced a 10-7 defeat.
