SBU Sports: Softball defeats Charleston Cougars 5-4
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.
