SBU Sports: Stony Brook baseball tops Seton Hall 7-3

Right-hander Eddie Smink allowed just one run over 5.2 innings, and Chanz Doughty delivered the tying and go-ahead RBI hits to power Stony Brook to a 7-3 victory over Seton Hall on March 14 at Joe Nathan Field. The Seawolves took the opener of the three-game series.

Smink got off to a strong start, retiring the first two batters of the game before Seton Hall recorded back-to-back hits. However, Matt Miceli made a defensive stop to end the inning, keeping the game scoreless.The Seawolves got a hit from Erik Paulsen in the first but couldn’t push a run across.

Smink tossed a perfect second inning, striking out one, while Matthew Jackson ignited the offense with a one-out single in the bottom half. He proceeded to steal second and third, but Seton Hall escaped unscathed with an inning-ending popup.

The Pirates broke through in the third with a two-out walk followed by an RBI single, taking a 1-0 lead.

Smink worked out of trouble in the fourth, inducing an inning-ending double play with runners on the corners. Stony Brook capitalized in the bottom half as Jackson walked, stole second, and scored on a clutch RBI single from Doughty to tie the game at 1-1.

After Smink stranded a runner at second in the fifth, the Seawolves threatened with a walk from Miceli and a double from Evan Goforth, but a baserunning miscue allowed Seton Hall to escape.

George Adams entered with two on in the sixth and got a flyout to end the Pirates’ rally.

In the bottom half, Nico Azpilcueta worked a walk, and Jackson advanced him with a sacrifice bunt. Doughty came through again, driving in Jackson with an RBI single. A wild pitch moved Doughty to third, and Cam Santerre extended the lead to 3-1 with an RBI groundout.

Adams stranded a leadoff double in the seventh, and the Seawolves broke the game open in the bottom half with a four-run outburst. Three consecutive walks to Goforth, Paulsen, and Johnny Pilla loaded the bases. Jackson singled home Goforth, Doughty drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Paulsen, Santerre plated another run on a fielder’s choice, and Jackson later scored on a wild pitch to make it 7-1.

Seton Hall trimmed the lead with a solo homer in the eighth, but Adams responded by striking out the next three batters. He allowed another solo shot in the ninth but struck out the final batter to seal the 7-3 win.