April 15, 2008

Box Score

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Junior Brian Witkowski (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) hit a walk-off single with no outs in the ninth inning to lead the Stony Brook University baseball team to a 10-9 victory over the Hofstra Pride on Tuesday afternoon at University Field. The Seawolves improve to 17-14 with the victory while the Pride fall to 12-26.

Junior Keith Fier (Armonk, N.Y.) reached on a Hofstra error to lead off the ninth and then stole second on the first pitch to Witkowski who then lined the ball just over the shortstop later in the at-bat allowing Fier to come home with the winning run. Fier had a terrific game for the Seawolves, going 3-for-4 with three RBI and four runs scored.

The Pride jumped out to 2-0 lead in the second as Matt Prokopowicz led off with a home run.Dion Pouncil then came around to score later in the inning on a Stony Brook error. The Seawolves got on the board in the third as Fier doubled to lead off and then came home on a passed ball.

Hofstra extended its lead with four runs in the fourth highlighted by a John Kenny two-run single and an Anthony Sarno two-run double. SBU came back in the bottom of the inning though as Fier slammed his first career home run, a three-run shot just inside the left field foul pole.

Stony Brook cut the Hofstra lead to 6-5 in the fifth on a RBI single from junior Chad Rebecca (Mount Prospect, Ill.) but the Pride responded with two in the sixth on a Matt Kougasian two-out, two-run double. An RBI single from junior Mike Stephan (Patchogue, N.Y.) in the sixth made it 8-6 and the Seawolves then tied it the seventh on a run-scoring double from freshman Nick Thode (Huntington Station, N.Y.) and a sacrifice fly from freshman Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario).

But Mark Stuckless reached on a Stony Brook error to begin the eighth, moved to second on a passed ball and then came home on a Kougasian two-out RBI single to give Hofstra the lead back. SBU once again rallied though as sophomore Rob Dyer (Selden, N.Y.) doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning and came home one out later on double from junior Michael Tansey (Valley Stream, N.Y.).

Tansey led the Stony Brook offense with four hits in five at-bats while Witkowski added two hits and an RBI. Sophomore Jordan Purington (Westbrook, Maine) earned the victory for the Seawolves, pitching a scoreless top of the ninth.

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