SBU Sports: Stony Brook baseball strikes first, Blue Hens ultimately take opening-series victory

The Stony Brook baseball team jumped out to an early 1-0 advantage, but an eight-run outburst in the third inning by Delaware ultimately propelled the Blue Hens to an 8-1 victory in the series opener on March 21 in Newark, Delaware, marking the start of CAA play for the Seawolves

Erik Paulsen extended his on-base streak to all 19 games this season by recording a hit in the first inning. However, the Blue Hens turned a double play to end the top half of the frame.

Eddie Smink took the mound for Stony Brook, striking out the first batter he faced and stranding a runner to keep Delaware scoreless through one.

The Seawolves struck first in the second inning, as Nico Azpilcueta led off with a walk and Matthew Jackson followed with an RBI double to put Stony Brook ahead 1-0.

After Smink stranded a runner in the second, the Seawolves applied pressure again in the third, loading the bases with two outs, but they were unable to push another run across.

Delaware responded emphatically in the bottom of the third, plating eight runs behind two home runs to seize an 8-1 lead.

Nicholas Rizzo entered the game in relief for Stony Brook in the fourth and tossed a perfect 1-2-3 inning. He followed up in the fifth by stranding two runners, keeping the deficit at 8-1.

Ty Panariello took over in the sixth and struck out all three batters he faced. He continued his dominance by retiring the side in order in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Luke Szepek collected a one-out single in the seventh and advanced to second, but Delaware escaped the inning with a strikeout.

In the ninth, Szepek added another single, and Matt Miceli was hit by a pitch to put two runners on with two outs. However, the Blue Hens closed out the game with a flyout, securing the 8-1 win.