SBU Sports: Softball loses lead in fifth, falls to Delaware
Stony Brook softball fell to Delaware, 9-3, on March 15. The Seawolves were leading entering the bottom of the fifth, but the Blue Hens scored seven times to flip the script and beat Stony Brook.
Stony Brook opened the scoring in the top of the first. Naiah Ackerman was hit by a pitch, moved up to third on an Alyssa Costello double and then scored on a Madelyn Stepski groundout.
Madelaine Male started for the Seawolves, retiring Delaware in order in the bottom of the first after being staked to a lead.
The Blue Hens took a lead in the second inning after a two-run homer with two outs in the frame.
Ackerman singled and Stepski walked in the third inning, but the frame ended when Ackerman was thrown out trying to score the tying run on a Crimson Rice single.
After another 1-2-3 inning for Male, Stony Brook’s offense pushed some more runs across. Kyra McFarland hit a two-out, two-run double that scored Marissa Thalassinos and Emma Scheitinger to give the Seawolves a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
McFarland’s double chased Delaware’s starter. The Blue Hens went to Billie Kerwood and despite loading the bases, Kerwood escaped the fourth without any more damage.
Male cruised through the fourth inning, maintaining Stony Brook’s lead, but ran into trouble in the fifth. A walk and a single put two runners on with one out, and it was a three-run blast that put Delaware ahead by two runs and forced Male out of the contest.
Jordyn Fray entered in relief of Male, but registered just one out and exited after allowing a three-run double on a misplayed ball in the outfield.
Gabrielle Maday finished the inning, retiring the only batter she faced. Delaware led 9-3 after five innings, scoring seven times in the frame.
The Seawolves’ offense went down in order in the sixth and seventh, falling for the second straight day to Kerwood and the Blue Hens.
Up next, Stony Brook and Delaware wrap up the series tomorrow, March 16 with first pitch slated for noon from the Delaware Softball Diamond.
