May 13, 2008

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Freshman Robert Inzerillo (Valley Stream, N.Y.) scored the winning run on a wild pitch with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to lead the Stony Brook University baseball team to an 8-7 victory over the Seton Hall Pirates in non-conference action at University Field on Tuesday afternoon. Stony Brook improves to 30-21 with the victory while the Pirates fall to 29-21.

Stony Brook entered the bottom of the ninth down 7-6 but sophomore Chris Maier (Farmingdale, N.Y.) was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and junior Chad Rebecca (Mt. Prospect, Ill.) followed by walking. Freshman Nick Thode (Huntington Station, N.Y.) then tried to lay down a bunt but the Pirates fielded it cleanly and got Maier at third. Inzerillo came in to pinch-run for Thode who had reached on the fielder's choice and junior Brian Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) then reached on a Seton Hall error to load the bases.

Freshman Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) followed with a sacrifice fly to score Rebecca with the tying run and then with sophomore Rob Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) at the plate, Seton Hall pitcher Jesse Gwaltney balked to move the runners to second and third. Two pitches later Gwaltney uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Inzerillo to come home with the winning run.

The Pirates had taken the 7-6 lead with two runs in the ninth as they loaded the bases with one out. Chris Spanuolo then hit one to short which allowed the Seawolves to get the force out at second but the relay throw to first was wide which allowed both Matt Smedberg and Mark Pappas to score.

Seton Hall took an early lead with three runs in the third on a Smedberg RBI single, A.J. Rusbarsky sacrifice fly and Chris Addinito run-scoring single. But the Seawolves rallied for three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning on run-scoring singles from Marshall and sophomore Mike Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) and a RBI fielder's choice from junior Michael Tansey (Valley Stream, N.Y.).

The Seawolves took a 4-3 lead in the fifth on a Tansey RBI single but the Pirates tied it in the seventh on a Rusbarsky run-scoring single. SBU regained the lead in the bottom of the inning on an RBI triple from Tansey but the Pirates once again rallied to tie, getting a run in the eighth on a run-scoring single from Chris Fontenelli.

A two-out RBI single from junior Steven Mazzurco (Selden, N.Y.) in the bottom of the eighth looked like it would give the Seawolves the victory before the Pirates rallied for their two runs in the ninth. Sophomore Matt Harloff (Valley Steam, N.Y.) picked up the win for Stony Brook, allowing one earned run in 1.1 innings of work. Marshall and Tansey paced the Seawolves offense with three hits apiece.

The Seawolves return to action on Thursday, traveling to take on Albany. Game time is set for 3 p.m.