SBU Sports: Baseball wins fifth straight, finishes weekend sweep over Lafayette

SBU Sports: Baseball wins fifth straight, finishes weekend sweep over Lafayette

#3 Shortstop Matt Miceli during Sunday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook baseball team (5-9, 0-0 CAA) capped off their 5-0 week this afternoon after finishing off the series sweep against Lafayette College (3-12, 0-0 Patriot League) by defeating the Leopards 9-3 at Joe Nathan Field on March 12.

For the third time in the last five games, the Seawolves fell behind early but did not waver. After the team from Pennsylvania scored a run in the top half of the first inning, Stony Brook responded right back with a run of their own. Senior Shane Paradine tallied the first of his two hits in the afternoon and drove in sophomore Matt Miceli to tie the game.

Then, following another run by the Leopard offense in the second inning, the Seawolves would go on to score seven unanswered runs to take a 8-2 lead in the fifth and ultimately the 9-3 victory.

The Seawolves sent out graduate Kyle Johnson to make his second start of the season and sixth start of the year this afternoon. 

After the right-hander stranded a runner on second base with no outs by retiring the next three batters, freshman Eddie Smink came in to make his fourth appearance of the year. Smink, a native of West Chester, Pa., produced his strongest outing of the season after allowing just one run over a career-high 5.0 innings out of the pen. Also, the right-hander allowed one walk and faced two batters over the minimum as he battled only 17 batters over the 5.0 innings.

In the bottom of the fourth, Stony Brook tied the game at 2–2 after junior Matt Brown-Eiring advanced Paradine to third on a hit-and-run action play, and then scored after Brown-Eiring drew a pick-off.

The Stony Brook offense would finally erupt in the fifth inning by tallying six runs in the frame. Leading the charge was the sophomore class as Anthony Gentile started the inning by drawing a walk, followed by fellow sophomore Chris Leone reaching on an error, and second year player Matt Miceli loading the bases on a bunt base-hit. Freshman Matthew Wright made his first appearance in the two-spot for the Stony Brook offense this season and drove in Gentile by reaching on a walk.

The Seawolves did not have to wait long on base, as graduate Evan Giordano cleared the bases by launching a double to right center. After the double, Paradine collected a double for himself down the right field line to drive in Giordano. Junior Derek Yalon would cap off the inning by bringing home Paradine on a sacrifice-fly and giving Stony Brook the 7-2 lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Freshman Jerek Hobb made his second appearance of the weekend and struck out two batters in the ninth inning to seal the 9-3 victory for Stony Brook and extend their winning streak to five games.

“I am very proud of our guys, it’s a real credit to them. When you have a start like we had, playing some of the best teams in the country, it’s easy to get off track. But, we regrouped together and I am very proud of the way that they stepped up to the challenge,” said head coach Matt Senk.