Tags Posts tagged with "Stony Brook Athletics"

Stony Brook Athletics

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

After falling behind 5-0 in the first quarter, the Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team went on to outscore Monmouth, 15-7, en route to its third win in a row to improve to 2-0 in CAA play in West Long Branch, N.J. on March 25. The Seawolves were paced by senior attackman Dylan Pallonetti who recorded seven points (six goals, one assist) and his 100th career goal in the victory.

Pallonetti ended Monmouth’s early 5-0 run when he scored back-to-back goals for the Seawolves over the final three minutes of the first quarter to make it 5-2 in favor of the Hawks after the first 15 minutes of play. From there, the Seawolves and Hawks played a back-and-forth second quarter, which saw Stony Brook outscore Monmouth, 6-3, in the frame and the teams were knotted up at 8-8 at the break.

Leading the attack in the first half was Pallonetti and senior attackman Blake Behlen. Pallonetti finished the first half with a hat trick and an assist, while Behlen got on the board twice with a pair of goals.

Stony Brook’s offense continued to click in the second half with Pallonetti at the helm of the attack. The senior scored another three goals over the final 30 minutes as he finished the game with his second six-goal performance of the season.

With the game tied up at 11-11 with 10:31 to play in the fourth quarter, Pallonetti rattled the cage for the fourth time in the game and it was the 100th goal of his career. The crucial goal put Stony Brook up 12-11 and it never looked back as it went on to outscore Monmouth, 4-1, down the stretch as it held on to win, 15-12.

Defensively, the Seawolves stifled the Hawks as they held them to just four goals on 16 shots in the second half. Sophomore goalie Jamison MacLachlan and senior defenseman Michael Sabella anchored a strong effort on the defensive end for the Seawolves.

MacLachlan made nine saves in the cage, six of which came in the second half. Sabella made big plays for the Seawolves time and time again as he was blanketed all over Monmouth’s top scorer Cade Stratton who scored just two goals in the game and none of which came while Sabella was guarding him man-to-man.

The three-game winning streak is the longest of the season for the Seawolves as they improved to 2-0 in conference play. It is the first time since 2018 that Stony Brook has started conference play 2-0.

“I am proud of the team for sticking to the plan and not panicking after going down 5-0 to start the game. The bench was electric and helped us bring the juice as we chipped away at the lead,” said head coach Anthony Gilardi. 

“I thought Dylan was fantastic again and I am so pumped for him on getting his 100th career goal in a big moment when we needed it. Every game in this league is a battle and we look forward to getting back to work on Monday as we prep for our first CAA home game against Towson,” he added.

The team returns to LaValle Stadium on April 1 to take on Towson in its first-ever home CAA game.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – The Stony Brook softball team (10-14, 2-6 CAA) swept the Drexel Dragons (5-15, 2-3 CAA) on March 26 to secure its first CAA wins in program history. The Seawolves shutout the Dragons 4-0 in game one and the squad’s hot hitting powered them to a 9-4 victory in game two.

The Seawolves were led by an outstanding performance from senior pitcher Ashton Melaas who tossed a complete game shutout. The 7.0 inning shutout marked the second outing this season and third in her career that the senior has tossed a complete game shutout.

Stony Brook’s offense was paced by freshman infielder Naiah Ackerman and junior infielder Ashley Jacobson. Ackerman smashed her first career home run to give the squad a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth. Jacobson went 3-3 at the plate with a solo home run which gave the Seawolves a 4-0 lead in the top of the sixth.

The bats were on fire for the Seawolves in game two. The squad’s hot hitting propelled them to a 9-4 victory over Drexel. Sophomore outfielder Alyssa Costello led the offensive attack with a two RBI double and a three RBI home run, totaling five RBI on the day.

Junior utility Catherine Anne Kupinski got Stony Brook on the board first with a solo homer in the top of the second. Ackerman followed behind Kupinski and added to her standout performance with a RBI single to give the Seawolves an early 2-0 lead. Costello brough in five more runs and Sanzone plated Jacobson to help the squad run away with the 9-4 win.
GAME 1: STONY BROOK – 4, DREXEL – 0

  • Melaas went the distance to toss a complete game shutout, marking her second of the season and third in her career. The senior recorded five punchouts and only allowed five hits.
  • Ackerman went 2-3 at the plate and got the Seawolves on the board first with a three-run home run in the top of the fourth. The home run marked the freshman’s first career homer.
  • Jacobson hit a perfect 3-3 at the dish including a solo home run to give Stony Brook a 4-0 lead at the top of the sixth inning. The outing marked the junior’s second perfect appearance at the plate this season (3-3 vs. Loyola Chicago on Feb. 12) and fifth in her career.
  • Junior outfielder Julianna Sanzone registered a hit and a run scored in the contest.

GAME 2: STONY BROOK – 9, DREXEL – 4

  • Costello went 2-4 and led the offensive attack with a two RBI double and a three RBI home run, totaling five RBI on the day. The sophomore also added a run scored.
  • Kupinski also went 2-4 at the plate with two RBI and three runs scored, including a solo homer in the second inning to get Stony Brook on the board first. The solo home run marked the junior’s fourth homer of the season.
  • Ackerman followed behind Kupinski and added to her standout performance with a RBI single to give the Seawolves an early 2-0 lead in the second.
  • Sanzone tallied her second RBI on the day with a SAC fly in the fifth to bring home Jacobson and give Stony Brook a 6-0 lead.
  • Junior outfielder Alicia Orosco went 2-4 at the dish with a run scored while senior catcher Corinne Badger went 1-4 and also added a run scored.
  • Jacobson added a hit and two runs scored in the second contest.

“We came out today with a great mindset and approach, and wanted to be strong in all three facets of our game. Ashton and Mia were tough in the circle, we had offensive contributions from so many hitters and for most of the afternoon played outstanding defense, coming up with big plays. We competed at a high level and came away with two important conference wins,” said head coach Megan T. Bryant.

NEXT UP
The Seawolves return home to University Field to host Seton Hall for a mid-week matchup on Wednesday, March 29. First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

This concept rendering is a vision for what a revitalized Stony Brook Baseball and Softball Complex could be. Image from SBU

Stony Brook University and its athletics programs will benefit from a $2.5 million gift in the form of a 1:1 matching challenge — designated to strengthen Stony Brook Baseball and Softball, cornerstones of the university’s athletics department. The announcement was made in a press release on March 27.

The same family also provided an additional $500,000 in support for the Stony Brook basketball program and their individual athletes’ and programmatic needs, including academic incentive awards for student-athletes, team travel and meal costs, and recruiting.

The gift inspired Stony Brook star and former Major League Baseball pitcher Joe Nathan ’97, the first player from Stony Brook to reach the major leagues and one of the most successful closers in MLB history, to make a lead gift to aid in the effort to revitalize Stony Brook’s baseball and softball complex. In making this gift, Nathan is renewing his support of the facility; his 2008 contribution led to the initial construction of Joe Nathan Field.

“This is an exciting moment for Stony Brook Baseball and Softball. When I first learned of this incredible matching gift, I was moved by this family’s generosity and passion for the program that has meant so much to me,” says Nathan. “Their gift has the potential to transform the future of Joe Nathan Field and University Field, and I am so thankful for their investment in our student-athletes.”

“With that in mind, it is an honor to make a lead gift to the project and support the vision of a state-of-the-art facility for Stony Brook Baseball and Softball. My family and I are thrilled to be the first, of what we hope are many, donors to take advantage of this $2.5 million matching fund and help make a lasting impact on Stony Brook Baseball and Softball,” he says.

Stony Brook Athletics will now set out to raise the entire $2.5 million matched amount, in order to generate a total investment of $5 million into revitalizing the baseball and softball complex. Additionally, as the Stony Brook community prepares for its upcoming Giving Day on Wednesday, March 29, Stony Brook Athletics will utilize $50,000 of the challenge funds as a Giving Day matching opportunity, allowing members of the community to make gifts of any size and be matched dollar-for-dollar.

“I am beyond grateful for the generosity and trust that has been bestowed upon our program. It has been 11 years since Stony Brook made history by reaching the College World Series, and these transformational gifts provide an opportunity to elevate our baseball and softball complex to a standard that our student-athletes deserve,” says Shawn Heilbron, director of athletics.

“This revitalization project is about more than just beautifying our campus and updating our facilities; it will help us recruit the best and brightest student-athletes,” he says. “At a time when national interest in college baseball and softball has never been higher, our goal is to compete on the national stage.”

There is no denying the significant impact that leadership gifts, like this one, play in laying the foundation for the university’s continued growth and progress. With Giving Day 2023 around the corner, matching gifts, like Nathan’s, underscore how the collective impact of Stony Brook’s growing community of alumni, students, faculty and friends is advancing the university’s priorities and helping it reach its potential.

“This anonymous gift has already done more than address the immediate needs of our university community,” says Justin Fincher, vice president for advancement and executive director of the Stony Brook Foundation. “It’s created a ripple effect by inspiring others to think about how they can play a role in Stony Brook’s future.”

The matching gift stemmed from a total $5.5 million contribution from the same anonymous donor family. The $5.5 million included support to the Stony Brook basketball program noted above as well as additional support for the Stony Brook Children’s Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department Expansion Fund.

Feeling inspired? To learn more about how you can #HoldDoorsOpen and support the next generation of Seawolves this Giving Day, visit givingday.stonybrook.edu. 

#12 Evan Giordano takes to the plate during Sunday's game. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook baseball team (6-11, 1-2 CAA) earned their first-ever Colonial Athletic Association victory  as the Seawolves defeated the College of Charleston Cougars (13-6, 4-2 CAA) 15-11 on March 19 at The Ballpark at Patriots Point in Charleston, S.C.

The Seawolves would fall behind to a 1-0 deficit in the first inning, but then the Stony Brook offense would send 10 batters to the plate in the top of the second inning, tallying seven singles in the inning and exploding for six runs to take an early 6-1 lead.

Junior Matt Brown-Eiring led the second inning off with the first of his two hits this afternoon, followed by a knock from junior Ryan Micheli to get two runners on base with no outs. 

After a ground-out by Stony Brook, the squad would produce five RBI singles in a row to give themselves the lead. Sophomore Anthony Gentile, senior Derek Yalon, junior Evan Fox, sophomore Matt Miceli, and graduate Evan Giordano all tallied RBI base-hits in a row. 

Stony Brook sent out graduate Nick DeGennaro to make his third start of the season. The right-hander kept the Cougars offense at ease, as he allowed three earned runs and struck out two batters over his 3.0 innings on the hill. Senior Brandon Lashley entered the game for DeGennaro in the fourth inning and allowed just two earned runs over his 4.0 innings out of relief. 

With the Cougar offense starting to awaken, the Seawolves offense rose to occasion by scoring two runs in fourth, one run in the sixth, and erupted for four runs in the seventh inning. In the fourth, Fox led the frame off by doubling and then scored following senior Shane Paradine driving in the leadoff hitter on a double. Paradine didn’t wait long before Micheli drove him in on a single up the middle, giving Stony Brook an 8-3 lead. 

Then, after an RBI knock by Paulsen in the sixth inning to put Stony Brook ahead 9-4, the squad would score four runs in the next frame. This time, it was the middle of the order doing the damage as Giordano drove in Fox on a triple to right field, and Paradine drove in Giordano by lasering a ball up the middle. A few batters later, Paulsen would cap the inning off by launching a two-RBI double to give Stony Brook a 13-4 advantage. 

But, the Cougars didn’t go away without a fight, as Charleston scored a combined seven runs in the seventh and eighth inning to cut the deficit to two runs. The Seawolves would answer right back as Paulsen and Yalon each had RBI knocks to give Stony Brook two insurance runs and the 15-11 lead. 

Freshman Eddie Smink closed the door on the Cougars after striking out the final two batters of the game to secure the 15-11 victory. 

The team returns to Long Island on Tuesday, March 21, to take on LIU at 3 p.m. in Brooklyn.

A scene from last Saturday's Snowflake Classic. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook track and field team opened its spring season at home with the Stony Brook Snowflake Classic on March 18.

The men’s team secured seven first-place finishes. Graduate Miles Ryan paced the Seawolves on the track with two first-place finishes. Ryan earned a first-place finish in the 110 meter hurdles and the 400 meter hurdles with final times of 15.15 and 57.99, respectively.

Junior Gavin Da Vanzo led the way for Stony Brook in the field events. Da Vanzo took home the victory in the high jump with a final mark of 1.55m and earned a second-place finish in the long jump with a final mark of 6.60m.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Junior Alex Kanes earned a first-place finish in the long jump with a final mark of 6.75m. Kanes also secured a third-place finish in the 100 meter dash with a final time of 11.63.
  • Junior Aleks Zdravkovic crossed the line in 49.69 to earn the first-place finish in the 400 meter.
  • Freshman Michael Hawkes clocked in at 4:12.04 which was good for a second-place finish in the 1500 meter.
  • Sophomore Steven Struk took home the victory in the 3000 meter with a final time of 8:38.45. Freshman John Fontanez finished directly behind Struk in second with a final time of 8:45.11.
  • Sophomore Seth Hilario earned a new personal best and a second-place finish in the 110 meter hurdles with a final time of 15.59.
  • Sophomore Darnell Paul secured a first-place finish in the shot put with a final mark of 13.41m.
A scene from last Saturday’s Snowflake Classic. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The women’s team secured eight first-place finishes. Graduate Dana Cerbone paced the Seawolves with two first place finishes. Cerbone earned a first-place finish in the 200 meter dash with a final time of 25.24 and in the 400 meter dash with a final time of 57.86. The graduate also secured a new personal best in the 400 meter.

Junior Danella Dawkins crossed the line in 14.58 to earn a first-place finish and a new personal best in the 100 meter hurdles and a top five finish in the 200 meter dash.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Junior Jaelyn Davis earned a first place finish in the 100 meter dash with a final time of 12.45. Graduate Akajia Atkins finished behind Davis in second with a final time of 12.56.
  • Aristea Franks rounded out the podium for the Seawolves in the 200 meter with a final time of 25.53. Enyero Omokeni, Dawkins, Atkins, and Davis all finished within the top seven in the event.
  • Omokeni recorded a second-place finish in the 400 meter with a final time of 58.00. Sophomore Jada Hodge rounded out the top three with a final time of 58.01. Freshman Samantha St. Juste and Aristea Franks completed the top five for Stony Brook.
  • Graduate Tara Hauff clocked in at 2:18.35 in the 800 meter to take home the victory. Junior Rebecca Clackett finished behind Hauff in third with a final time of 2:25.95.
  • Junior Nicole Garcia led the way for the Seawolves in the 1500 meter earning a first-place finish with a final time of 4:44.20.
  • Graduate Siara Guevara crossed the line in 1:04.79 to secure the win in the 400 meter hurdles.
  • Junior Alexandria Earle took home the victory in the high jump with a final mark of 1.55m. Sophomore Brienna Ahmetaj finished directly behind Earle in second with a final mark of 1.50m.

The teams are back in action March 23-25 when the squad competes at the Raleigh Relays in Raleigh, N.C. and at the Monmouth Spring Opener in West Long Branch, N.J.

#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.

#3 Shauna Nuss recorded the only RBI of the game on Friday. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook softball team (6-8, 0-1 CAA) fell to Elon University (7-14, 1-0 CAA), 6-2, in its first-ever CAA contest on March 10 at Hunt Softball Park in Elon, N.C.

The Phoenix got off to an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning courtesy of a two-run home run by Elon’s Claudia Penny. The Seawolves cut their deficit to 2-1 in the top of the third when senior outfielder Shauna Nuss stole home.

STATS: 

Nuss went 2-3 at the plate and recorded the only RBI of the contest. The senior singled to left field to bring home junior outfielder Julianna Sanzone.

Junior infielders Kyra McFarland and Brooke Dye, junior outfielder Alicia Orosco and freshman infielder Naiah Ackerman all recorded a hit in the game.

Sophomore pitcher Maddie Male got the start in the circle, she tossed 2.2 innings before senior Ashton Melaas took over.

Stony Brook would not be able to keep up as the Phoenix would go on to plate four more runs in the bottom of the third off back-to-back hits and ultimately seal the 6-2 victory.

The team heads to Fairfield, C.T. on March 16 to take on Sacred Heart University at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. The games will be broadcast live on FloSoftball.

The team celebrates their win last Friday. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The No. 5/6 Stony Brook women’s lacrosse team (4-0) used a second half surge to come out on top and earn its third ranked win of the season against No.17 Stanford University (2-3) on March 3 at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

The Seawolves were paced by CAA Preseason Midfielder of the Year, Ellie Masera, who tallied a season-high five goals. Graduate attacker Jolie Creo, senior attackers Kailyn Har and Morgan Mitchell and senior midfielder Erin MacQuarrie all added a pair of goals each in the contest.

Stony Brook got off to a slow start as the squad was not able to find the back of the cage in the first quarter and trailed the Cardinal 4-0 heading into the quarter break. Stanford would go on to tally two more goals within the first two minutes of the second quarter from Ashley Humphrey and Annabel Frist.

With 9:35 remaining in the second quarter, Masera got the Seawolves on the board off an assist from junior midfielder Jaden Hampel. Stony Brook added three more goals in the quarter to cut the deficit to 7-4 heading into halftime.

The Seawolves came back on to the field with vengeance, scoring within the first 30 seconds of the third quarter courtesy of Morgan Mitchell who finished a free position shot. The squad tallied five more goals in the quarter, including a go-ahead man-down goal by Masera with four seconds remaining to give Stony Brook its first lead of the game, 10-9.

Masera, Hampel, Creo and Hart all registered goals in the fourth quarter secure the lead for the Seawolves and ultimately the 14-10 comeback victory.

Senior Robert Becker is only the 5th athlete in the history of the IC4A Championships to win the mile race three different times. Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook University men’s track and field team finished day two of the IC4A Championships in ninth-place overall out of 42 teams on Sunday at Boston University.

Senior Robert Becker added another IC4A title to his collection as he became only the 5th athlete in the history of the IC4A Championships (101 years) to win the mile race three different times.

In 2020, Becker earned his first IC4A title with a final time of 4:02.45. Last season, the graduate student crossed the finish line at 4:01.67. At the championship race today, Becker earned his triple title after finishing at 4:02.18.

Also in the mile race was senior Aiden Smyth. Smyth finished right-behind Becker in third-place, as he crossed the finish line at 4:04.30.

Stony Brook had another student-athlete who created history for the program. Senior Shane Henderson became the first athlete to get under the 8:00 minute barrier in the 3000m, as the Connecticut native crossed the finish line at 7:59.30, giving himself the new program record.

Becker earned a first-place finish in the mile with his final time of 4:02.18, securing his third career IC4A win. The fastest pace Becker ran at was at the end of the race, as he tallied 29.19 and 27.52 to finish at 4:02.18.

Smyth avenged his 4:09.12 finish that earned him ninth-place overall last season at the IC4A Championships with the time of 4:04.30.

Senior Colin Ross earned a 19th-place finish in the 3000 meter by finishing at 8:18.92.

“We are really happy with how everyone competed today. It was a great performance by Becker and Henderson in their last indoor meet as Seawolves. Extremely proud of the way our guys performed,” said head coach Andy Ronan.

Photo from Stony Brook Athletics

The Stony Brook men’s lacrosse team (2-2) secured its second consecutive victory within three days as it defeated Sacred Heart (0-4), 15-12, at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium on Feb. 26. The Seawolves also defeated Air Force, 15-8, on the Island on Feb. 24.

Not only did graduate attacker Jonathan Huber record the first goal of the contest to give Stony Brook a 1-0 lead, but he also added two more goals throughout the game, tallying his 100th career goal with his second make. Huber found the back of the cage off an assist from graduate midfielder Matt Anderson to give the Seawolves a 12-7 lead with 2:36 left to play in the third quarter.

Senior attacker Dylan Pallonetti added four more goals to his stellar weekend. The Stony Brook native also registered a career-high tying six goals against Air Force on Friday. Senior attacker Blake Behlen and junior midfielder Noah Armitage followed behind Pallonetti, recording three goals and two goals, respectively.

The Seawolves jumped ahead early, recording the first goal of the contest. However, the Pioneers would answer back with two more. Sacred Heart took a hold of the lead, 2-1, courtesy of back-to-back goals from Carson Spooner and Jake Garb. Stony Brook would fall behind two more times in the first quarter and two more times the squad battled its way back.

The Seawolves took sole possession of the lead, 4-3, with 2:16 remaining in the first quarter when Armitage found the back of the cage off a helper from senior attacker Will Button. Stony Brook would not look back as it would control the lead for the remainder of the game and ultimately take the 15-12 victory.

“It’s pretty exhilarating and I am happy to do it as a Seawolf as well,” said graduate attacker Jonathan Huber on scoring his 100th career goal. “We are all playing to our strengths and playing well together and getting into a flow on offense,” said Huber.

“Men’s lacrosse is a very physical game, and we have a lot of guys banged up and when you play a quick turnaround game like this it is just about finding a way. I think we made enough plays there in the first half, specifically, to guide us through here. We knew it was going to be tough and I think these guys have to continue to have the mindset of this is what it is going to be like at the end of the year; we have to play good lacrosse,” said head coach Anthony Gilardi.