SBU Sports: Baseball rallies late to secure first CAA win over Delaware
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.
