Baseball beats Hartford to clinch playoff berth

Final Stats

West Hartford, Conn. - Faced with a winner-take-all game on the road for the right to move on to the America East Championship, the Stony Brook baseball team, behind a fantastic effort from starting pitcher Brandon McNitt(Chino Hills, Calif.), rose to the occasion, taking advantage of seven Hartford errors and bashing 11 hits in a 10-3 victory over the Hawks Saturday at Fiondella Field.

The win secures Stony Brook's spot in the upcoming America East Championship, which takes place May 22-24 (May 25 if necessary) at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass. The No. 4 seed Seawolves (24-32, 15-15 America East) will open the tournament Wednesday against No. 1 seed Maine (34-20, 20-9 America East) at 4 p.m. Hartford concludes its season 17-36 overall and 13-17 in America East.

Head Coach Matt Senk's Reaction
"I'm extremely proud of my players and coaching staff for working hard to get to the tournament and getting another chance to play for a championship. We're looking forward to a successful postseason."

Turning Point
Already leading 2-0, Stony Brook wrangled control of the game with a three-run fourth inning without the benefit of a base hit. Hartford starting pitcher Brian Hunter walked freshman Johhny Caputo (Toronto, Ontario), hit junior Josh Mason (Woodland Hills, Calif.) and walked freshman Brett Tenuto(Audubon, N.J.) to loaded the bases with no outs. Hunter was relieved by Kyle Gauthier, who promptly walked freshman Austin Shives (San Diego, Calif.) to force home a run. Freshman Jack Parenty (Wantagh, N.Y.) then hit a ground ball to second. Hawks second baseman Brian Estevez elected to go home, but threw wildly, allowing Mason to score. Gauthier then threw a wild pitch to allow Tenuto to score. He got the final two outs, but the damage had been done.

Stony Brook tacked on two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth. Meanwhile McNitt cruised through the Hawks lineup, needing just 10 pitches to complete the fifth inning and six to get through the sixth inning. He held Hartford without a run through the first six innings before allowing one in the seventh. But by then, Stony Brook had a commanding 8-0 lead.

Inside the Numbers

• Stony Brook had 11 hits and five walks while scoring 10 runs, five of them earns, as the Seawolves took advantage of seven Hartford errors.
• Mason led the Seawolves with two hits and three runs scored. He was 6-for-14 with three RBI and five runs scored in four games this week.
• Parenty went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to 10 games, the second time this season he's had a hitting streak in double figures. He is nine for his last 18 at the plate and is fourth in America East with a .348 batting average.
• Parenty, Mason and sophomore Kevin Krause (Staten Island, N.Y.) all turned in multi-hit games.
• Krause finished the series 5-for-11 with two walks.
• Sophomore Cole Peragine (Belle Ewart, Ontario) connected on his second triple of the season that brought home two runs in the ninth inning.
• McNitt started and scattered five hits over seven innings. He allowed one run, walked one and struck out six batters. He improved his record to 3-6 and lowered his ERA to 3.61. He now has 18 career wins.

News & Notes

• This was the only game Stony Brook and Hartford played this season that was not decided by one run.
• Stony Brook has now appeared in the America East Championship in eight consecutive seasons, the longest active streak of any league member.
• The Seawolves are the defending America East champions, having won the tournament last season at home.
• This will be the third time Stony Brook has entered the tournament as the No. 4 seed (2002, 2004). Both times, the Seawolves upset the No. 1 seed in the first round, and in 2004, the Seawolves won the whole tournament.
• Hartford has not qualified for the conference tournament since 1996.

Up Next
The Seawolves begin defense of their America East Championship title Wednesday against top seed Maine at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass., at 4 p.m. The game can be seen live on AmericaEast.com for free.

NCAA SOFT: Missouri 3, Stony Brook 0 Final...Seawolves face Oregon State Saturday, approx. 3:30 p.m. ESPN3

Miguel Maysonet, Tommy Brenton and Demmianne Cook named 2012-13 Players of the Year

 Photo Gallery

Stony Brook, N.Y. - Stony Brook University's Department of Athletics held its annual Awards Ceremony - The Wolfies - Wednesday night at the Student Activities Center on campus with more than 475 people in attendance. Headlining the honorees were Stony Brook Co-Male Athletes of the Year Tommy Brenton (Columbia, Md.) of the men's basketball team and Miguel Maysonet(Riverhead, N.Y.) of the football team and Stony Brook Female Athlete of the Year Demmianne Cook (Nesconset, N.Y.) of the women's lacrosse team.

Just the second player ever to be named America East Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season, Brenton had the best season of any men's basketball player in school history. He led the Seawolves in rebounds, assists and steals while being the catalyst for the America East's leading offense and defense. He graduated as the program's all-time leader in rebounds, assists and steals, recorded the program's first-ever triple-double and set a single-game Div. I program record with 20 rebounds in a game. In addition to his conference player of the year accolades, he was named the 2013 Lefty Driesell Award recipient as the national defensive player of the year.

Maysonet had one of the greatest seasons in Stony Brook, Big South and Football Championship Subdivision history when he rushed for 1,964 yards, the 11th most in FCS history, and 21 touchdowns. He rushed for over 200 yards three times last season, including his signature game - a 220-yard, two-touchdown performance in Stony Brook's 23-3 win at Army, the program's first-ever victory against a member of Football Bowl Subdivision. He was the runner-up for the Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS Player of the Year, named a first-team All-American and was selected as the Big South Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. He had He graduated as the program and the Big South's all-time leader in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He most recently was a free agent signing of the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cook graduates Stony Brook as the most prolific goal scorer in school history. She finished 2013 with 90 goals, which easily shattered her own program single-season record and was the sixth-best in NCAA women's lacrosse history. She scored seven goals in a game five times and had 10 goals during the Seawolves' run to their first-ever America East Championship title. She was named America East Player of the Year, first-team All-Mid-Atlantic Region and third-team All-American and was the program's first-ever Tewaaraton Award nominee. She graduates as the program's all-time leader in goals scored with 154.

Freshman Jameel Warney (Plainfield, N.J.) of the men's basketball team was named Male Rookie of the Year after a phenomenal rookie campaign that saw him lead the team in scoring and finish fifth in the nation in field goal percentage (61.8%). He was the America East Rookie of the Year, second-team All-District and third-team All-Met Writers.

Freshman Melissa Rigo (East Northport, N.Y.) was named the Female Rookie of the Year after posting one of the most dominant season in program history. She led all America East players and all freshmen in the country in kills per set (4.52) and points per set (5.05). She posted 10 or more kills in every match, 20 or more kills nine times and was the first Seawolves player since 2007 to have 30 kills in a match. She was named America East Rookie of the Year and first-team All-America East.

Sandeep Dhillon (Glen Oaks, N.Y.) of the women's track & field team and Robert Forai (Novi Sad, Serbia) of the men's tennis team were the recipients of the Stony Brook Senior Scholar-Athlete awards, given to the male and female student-athletes with the highest GPAs among the senior class. Dhillon, who has made Dean's List in every semester, has a 3.89 GPA and is majoring in Political Science with minors in Biology and Chemistry. Forai, who is on the America East Commissioner's Honor Roll, has a 3.58 GPA and is majoring in Health Sciences.

Anthony Jackson (Columbus, Ohio) of the men's basketball team and Allison Zelnick (Troy, Ohio) of the swimming & diving team were each named recipients of the Athletic Director's Award for their contributions to their teams and their representation of the five descriptive words that are the ideals Stony Brook Athletics - Commitment, Pride, Passion, Respect and Swagger.Greta Strenger (Woodbury, Minn.) of the volleyball team and Hajime Ichikawa (Scarsdale, N.Y.) of the men's swimming & diving team were both honored with the Faculty Athletic Represenative Award for their contributions to their teams and to the Stony Brook community.

Kristal Conklin (Middletown, N.Y.) of the women's cross country/track & field teams was the recipient of the Courage Award, which was renamed the Dave Alexander Courage Award, in honor of the late Coach Alexander, who was the recipient of the award in 2012. The Dave Alexander Courage Award is given to a member of Stony Brook Athletics who has overcome personal tragedy or serious injury and has demonstrated uncommon bravery in the face of adversity.

Laura Hathaway (Warsaw, N.Y.) of the volleyball team and Michael Bamiro (Tobyhanna, Pa.) of the football team were named the Swagger Award winners, which was voted on by their fellow student-athletes, for fitting the definition of swagger - exuding high confidence in themselves, is fearless in the face of challenge or an opponent, has high expectations of themselves and their program, expects to be great and to perform well both in the classroom and on the field and who chooses to do the right thing at all times.

Brenton, Shayla Giosia (Runnemede, N.J.) of the softball team, Brandon McNitt (Chino Hills, Calif.) of the baseball team, Sa'sha Kershaw (Baltimore, Md.) of the women's soccer team and Eric Speakman (Napier, New Zealand) of the men's cross country team were recipients of the SUNY Chancellor Awards for outstanding achievement in athletics and academics among SUNY's Div. I schools in their respective sports.

Elaine Crosson, Vice President for External Relations at Stony Brook was named the recipient of the Shirley Strum Kenny Service Award for outstanding service towards Stony Brook Athletics and its student-athletes.

John Leddy, Director of Athletic Bands at Stony Brook, received special recognition and a Stony Brook football personalized jersey for his retirement after seven incredible years of service in building the Spirit of Stony Brook Band.

In addition to individual awards, Most Valuable Player and Coaches Awards were handed out to each of Stony Brook's 20 varsity teams.

Softball selected to Columbia Regional of the NCAA Tournament...faces Missouri, Friday, 7:30 p.m. ESPN3

Complete Bracket

Stony Brook, N.Y. - After wrapping up the America East championship on Saturday, the Stony Brook softball team was selected to play in the Columbia Regional with host Missouri (the No. 6 overall seed), Oregon State and Hofstra, as announced Sunday night on the NCAA Tournament selection show. 

Stony Brook will open the NCAA Tournament against Missouri on Friday at 7:30 p.m. EST. The game will be shown live on ESPN3.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for our program," said head coach Megan Bryant. "There are four very good teams in the regional with four very good number one pitchers. We'll have our work cut out for us, but we have good confidence coming out of the conference tournament and we want to go, play hard and enjoy the experience."

The Seawolves (35-23) refused to lose at the America East Tournament, winning four straight elimination games, including two against top-seed Albany, to clinch the program's second conference crown. SophomoreAllison Cukrov (Irvine, Calif.) was named the Tournament's Most Outstanding Player after posting a 3-1 record with a 1.11 ERA at the competition. 

Stony Brook is the third No. 4 seed in America East history to win the championship (Maine 2004, Albany 2007), and is only the second team in conference history to lose its opening game and win the tournament (Hofstra 1999).

Stony Brook previously qualified for the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and was placed in the Tempe Regional with host Arizona State, Mississippi State and Hawaii. The Seawolves battled hard in a 2-0 defeat against the Sun Devils, before dropping an 8-3 decision to Mississippi State.

Regionals for the NCAA Division I Softball Championship will be held May 16-19 on 16 campus sites. At each campus site, a four-team, double-elimination tournament will be conducted and the 16 winning teams advance to the Super Regionals.

No. 10/9 WLAX's historic season ends in NCAA Second Round

Final Stats  Photo Gallery

College Park, Md. -- The winningest season in program history ended Sunday when the No. 10/9 Stony Brook women's lacrosse team fell to top-seeded, No. 1/1 Maryland, 11-3, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Stony Brook finishes with a 17-3 mark, its best in school history.Demmianne Cook paced the Seawolves with two goals, the 89th and 90th of the season. Emily Mercier and Claire Petersen chipped in one point each, while Frankie Caridi made seven stops.

Stony Brook's 17 victories are the most-ever for the program, and the squad won its first America East Championship and first-ever NCAA Tournament game when it downed Towson, 8-6, Friday night. Its top 10 national ranking marked was another first for the program that won just four games two seasons ago.

Brooke Griffin netted four goals for Maryland (20-0).

Coach's Reaction
"This was a tremendous year for our team. They worked hard. This was a building block and an enormous season for us. We had a lot of naysayers, and we took that to heart and persevered. Our seniors set the bar high and are very special to me. We are here to stay."

--Head Coach Joe Spallina

Turning Point
Petersen found Mercier in front for an early goal that gave Stony Brook a 1-0 lead at 23:39. Katie Schwarzman knotted it at 1-1 on a free position shot with 13:25 remaining in the frame.

Alex Aust and Brooke Griffin netted a pair of free position shots to push the lead to 4-1 with 4:02 left in the first half.

The Terps never trailed again en route to their 20th win of the season.

By the Numbers
    •    Sophomore Michelle Rubino tallied three draw controls, while Cook had two.
    •    Amber Kupres, a sophomore midfielder, posted team-highs in ground balls and caused turnovers with three of each.
    •    Maryland outshot Stony Brook 22-16 and held a slight 9-6 edge on draw controls.

News and Notes
    •    This marked the final game for seniors Cook, Kaitlyn Harrison, Janine Hillier, Justyne Passarelli,Hannah Perruccio, Petersen and Melissa Rotante. Each senior was instrumental in turning Stony Brook from a four-win team in 2011 into a top 10, America East Championship program in 2013.
    •    The Seawolves broke single-season team records for wins (17), conference wins (6), draw controls (260), goals (298), points (412), consecutive home wins (7) and consecutive road wins (6). Additionally, they bested the single-game records for fewest goals allowed (2) and posted its longest win streak (12).
    •    Stony Brook will have several key returners next season, including a pair of 30-goal scorers in sophomore midfielders Kupres and Rubino. Caridi and starting freshman defenders Maegan Meritz andAlyssa Fleming, who were pivotal in SBU's top-ranked scoring defense this season, will also be back on the field next year.
    •    SBU's only losses were to top five opponents in Maryland and Florida.
    •    Cook finishes her incredible two-year career at Stony Brook with 158 goals, the most all-time at SBU. She also tallied 157 draw controls and 173 points, which third and fifth on SBU's all-time ledger, respectively.
    •    Cook's 90 goals are a single-season record, which shatters her own previous mark of 68 that she set last season. Her 96 draw controls are also a single-season school record, while the 96 points she posted are second all-time in SBU single-season history.
    •    Petersen, who played the final four games of her Stony Brook career with a torn ACL and partially torn meniscus, concludes her time in Seawolves Country with 174 points, the fourth-most all-time. She broke a single-game NCAA record when she tallied 11 helpers against Longwood and is one of only two Seawolves to reach the 100-assist plateau as she dished out 105 during her two seasons at SBU.
    •    Petersen recorded 73 points on 27 goals and 46 assists. Her 46 helpers are second most all-time for a Seawolf in a single-season behind the 59 she tallied last season. Petersen tallied 11 points in her four-game postseason return despite suffering what is typically a season-ending injury.
    •    Hillier wraps up her time at SBU with 96 goals, the sixth-most all-time. The 143 points she registered rank seventh on Stony Brook's career list.
    •    Rotante has played in 66 games, the most on the team. She joins Perruccio, Harrison and Passarelli as the four four-year members of the SBU women's lacrosse team. 

Refuse to Lose! Softball stuns Albany to win America East Championship, NCAA Selection show, Sunday, 10 p.m. ESPNU

Box Score

Vestal, N.Y. - Led by the America East Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Allison Cukrov (Irvine, Calif.), the Stony Brook softball team completed its improbable run to the 2013 championship by defeating top-seed Albany twice on Saturday in the conference final. The Seawolves will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament and will learn their opponents during the selection show on Sunday at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.

Stony Brook 8, Albany 2

Facing its third elimination game of the week, Stony Brook battled to overcome an early 2-0 deficit to force a deciding second game Saturday.

Albany went ahead in the 2^nd courtesy of two Stony Brook errors, and then doubled the lead in the 3^rd on a leadoff homer by Annie Johnson. 

The lead held until the 5^th when the Seawolves delivered the deciding blow. With two outs and the bases loaded, sophomore Shayla Giosia (Runnemede, N.J.) took a high fastball and blasted it over the left-centerfield fence for a grand slam to make it 4-2 Stony Brook.

The Seawolves were not done yet. Senior Gina Bianculli (Oakdale, N.Y.) continued her outstanding tournament with an RBI double, before freshmanAlexandra Pisciotta (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) added two more runs to the scoresheet with another two-base hit. Junior Olivia Mintun (Neoga, Ill.) added another insurance run with a sacrifice fly to make it 8-2 after six innings.

Sophomore Allison Cukrov (Irvine, Calif.) then clamped down and retired the Great Danes in order in the seventh to pick up her 14^th win of the year. Albany starter Brittany MacFawn, the America East Pitcher of the Year, suffered her eighth defeat of the season after surrendering all eight runs, four earned, in six innings.

Stony Brook 2, Albany 0

Seizing the momentum from its game one win, Stony Brook went ahead and never looked back in a tightly-contested final.

The Seawolves grabbed the lead when freshmanKellie Reynolds (Paso Robles, Calif.) delivered a two-out, opposite-field double to make it 2-0 in the 4^th.

The Great Danes, who left nine runners on base through the first four innings, could never break through against Cukrov, who was able to work out of danger all game.

Albany threatened for the last time in the bottom of the seventh, but Mintun was able to turn a double play by stepping on third and firing to first to seal the win.

The Numbers Game

• Stony Brook outhit Albany, 11-4, in game one.
• The Seawolves posted a 7-6 hit advantage in game two.
• Cukrov posted a 3-1 record with a 1.11 ERA and 11 strikeouts in 25.1 innings during the tournament. 

News and Notes

•Stony Brook will be making its second appearance in the NCAA Tournament (2008).
• The Seawolves are just the third No. 4 seed to win the America East title in conference history (Maine 2004, Albany 2007).
• Stony Brook is the second team in America East history to lose its first game and then win the championship (Hofstra 1999).
• Cukrov, Reynolds, Giosia and junior Nicole Schieferstein were named to the All-Tournament Team.

No. 10/9 WLAX edges Towson behind stellar defense, 8-6

Caridi makes seven stops, Kupres and Hillier combine for five points

College Park, Md. -- In its first NCAA Tournament game, the No. 10/9 Stony Brook women's lacrosse team played sparkling defense and put Towson away late for for an 8-6 win Friday night at the Maryland Lacrosse and Field Hockey Complex. 

Frankie Caridi made seven stops, while Amber Kupres netted a hat trick and Janine Hillier tallied two goals and one assist as Stony Brook won its 12th-straight game and improved to 17-2 on the season.

Demmianne Cook added two goals, three draw controls and five ground balls, and Claire Petersen dished out three helpers. 

Kelsea Donnelly stopped eight shots for Towson (10-9). 

Coach's Reaction

"I'm tremendously happy for our program. It's a big deal to win a game in the NCAAs, it's a big deal to be in the NCAAs. I'm proud of our kids and the way they played in the second half. Towson is a great team and very well coached. To get a win in the NCAA Tournament is a big deal, and we are excited about the opportunity to play the No. 1 team in the country."

--Head Coach Joe Spallina

Turning Point

The two squads engaged in a defensive battle in the first half, yielding just two goals apiece. 

In the second stanza, Cook netted an unassisted goal less than four minutes into the frame to give Stony Brook the lead, 3-2. Kupres followed with a goal on a feed from Hillier as the Seawolves went up 4-2 with 23:29 to play.

Jackie LaMonica closed the gap to one with a tally from Ashleigh Rohrback, but Hillier and Michelle Rubino scored the next two, both unassisted, to put Stony Brook up three, 6-3, at 15:38.

Towson hung around as Sarah Maloof got a shot by Caridi with 13:56 remaining. Two minutes later, Hillier pushed the lead back to three on a free position shot.

Petersen found Kupres on the doorstep at 8:13, and the sophomore midfielder scored to give the Seawolves a four-goal advantage, 8-4.

Ashley Waldron scored the final two goals of the game for Towson, but the Seawolves defense remained solid to ice the team's first-ever NCAA win.

By the Numbers

• Stony Brook's speedy midfielders Kupres, Rubino and Cook helped the Seawolves go 16-for-17 on the clear. 
• SBU held a 22-15 advantage on ground balls. Caridi and Cook picked up five apiece.
• The Seawolves outshot the Tigers, 21-18.
• The is the fewest goals Stony Brook has scored in a win, besting its previous mark of nine against Albany on March 30. 

News and Notes

• Cook now has 88 goals on the season and 156 during her remarkable career. Her longtime teammate, Petersen, pushed her career assist total to 104 and season assist number to 45, the second-most all-time in SBU single-season history. 
• Hillier has 49 goals this season, which moves her into third all-time on Stony Brook's single-season ledger. She tallied 47 last season.
• This is the 15th time this season the Seawolves have held an opponent to single-digits in scoring. 
• Stony Brook is the third America East team to win an NCAA Tournament game. Albany was the last team to capture a win (2011), while Boston University has picked up two victories.
• The four goals the two teams tallied in the first half is the fourth-fewest in a half during a first or second round game in NCAA history. Dartmouth and Princeton combined for four goals in the first half in the 2004 Quarterfinals, and UMass and Yale posted four total scores in the 2nd half of a 1984 first-round contest. 

Up Next

Stony Brook will face top-seeded, No. 1/1 Maryland Sunday at noon in College Park, Md. The Seawolves fell to Maryland in a close, 8-3, decision March 17th. They have not lost since. 

Women's Lacrosse wins NCAA game vs. Towson 8-6; Softball to face Albany in America East Finals

Box Score

Vestal, N.Y. - With its back against the wall, the Stony Brook softball team refused to lose on Friday at the America East Tournament, defeating No. 3 Hartford and No. 2 Binghamton to advance to the title matchup against No. 1 Albany. The Seawolves must now beat the Great Danes twice to win the conference crown. First pitch Saturday is set for 12 p.m.
Coach's Reaction
"I'm really proud of this team. It was a great effort today with great energy. We had our backs against the wall and we responded really well. I think the big difference today was our timely hitting. We were able to string hits together and have some big innings and keep the momentum going. Our pitching was also fantastic today."
--Head Coach Megan Bryant
Stony Brook 6, Hartford 3
In a must-win game, Stony Brook (33-23) came out with an impressive effort to stave off elimination and send the Hawks home. The Seawolves scored five runs in the fourth inning to break a 1-1 tie, using four hits, including a two-run homer by sophomore Shayla Giosia (Runnemede, N.J.), and three Hartford errors to blow it open.
Junior Christine Lucido (Melville, N.Y.) gave Stony Brook a strong effort in the circle, allowing two earned runs in six innings to improve to 12-2 on the year. Sophomore Allison Cukrov (Irvine, Calif.) then entered the game in the seventh and picked up her fifth save with a 1-2-3 inning.
Hartford pitcher Zuzana Kudernatschova, who beat Stony Brook twice during the regular season, was roughed up to the tune of six earned runs on seven hits.
Junior Jessica Combs (Hammonton, N.J.) and sophomore Bria Green(Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) each had two hits for Stony Brook, while Giosia led the team with two runs scored.


Stony Brook 9, Binghamton 0
After knocking out Hartford, Stony Brook took the field in another elimination game, this time against tournament host Binghamton (30-17), who had lost earlier in the day to top-seed Albany. Once again, the Seawolves put forth a determined effort with a dominant performance from Cukrov in the circle and a huge day at the plate.
The Seawolves pushed across five runs in the top of the first to stun the hosts and their home crowd. The big hit in the inning was a two-out, bases-clearing triple by senior Gina Bianculli(Oakdale, N.Y.), who had two hits and a pair of runs in the game.
Stony Brook added to its lead in the fourth with four more runs, including three off the bat of junior Olivia Mintun (Neoga, Ill.), who crushed her first home run of the season with a pair of runners aboard.
Cukrov dominated the whole way, allowing just one hit, a bloop single with two outs in the fourth. The sophomore hurler struck out two to pick up her 13th victory of the season.
Binghamton pitcher Demi Laney, a first-team All-Conference selection, was tagged for eight runs, three earned, on five hits. The Bearcats' defense did Laney no favors with three errors as the Seawolves' relentless attack appeared to rattle the tournament's No. 2 seed from the outset.
The Numbers Game
• Stony Brook outhit Hartford by a 7-6 count.
• The Seawolves posted a 6-1 hit advantage against Binghamton.
• Bianculli combined to go 3-for-4 with three runs and four RBI on Friday.
• Mintun combined to go 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBI on Friday.
• Green swiped her second bag of the tournament against Hartford.
• Giosia stole her team-leading ninth base of the season vs. Binghamton.
News & Notes 
• Stony Brook will be making its fourth appearance in the America East final and first since 2010.
• The Seawolves won the conference crown in 2008 with a 4-0 victory over Albany in the title game.
• Since Stony Brook softball began competing in the America East in 2002, only one No. 4 seed has won the conference title (Albany in 2007).
• Binghamton's nine-run defeat was its worst loss of the season, surpassing an eight-run setback against No. 3 Arizona State on March 1.
• The 9-0 win over the Bearcats was Stony Brook's eighth shutout of the year. 
Up Next 
Stony Brook will vie for the America East title on Saturday in a rematch against No. 1 Albany. The Seawolves must beat the Great Danes twice in order to win the conference crown. The winner of the America East Championship will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. 

Stony Brook Seawolves Softball

Good Luck Stony Brook Softball at the 2013 America East Championships!

Vestal, N.Y. - The Stony Brook softball team (31-22) will begin its quest for the 2013 America East championship on Thursday against top-seeded Albany at 1 p.m. The No. 4 seed in the tournament, Stony Brook will be looking for its second conference title in program history.

Tournament Schedule

The 2013 America East championship will be a double-elimination format, meaning a team must lose twice in order to be eliminated. The winner will advance to the 2013 NCAA Tournament as the America East's auto-qualifier.

GAME 1: Thursday, May 9 - No. 1 Albany vs. No. 4 Stony Brook, 1 p.m.

GAME 2: Thursday, May 9 - No. 2 Binghamton vs. No. 3 Hartford, 3:30 p.m.

GAME 3: Friday, May 10 - Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, 11 a.m.

GAME 4: Friday, May 10 - Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, 1:30 p.m.

GAME 5: Friday, May 10 - Loser of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, 4 p.m.

GAME 6: Saturday, May 11 - Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 5, 12 p.m.

GAME 7: Saturday, May 11 - Game 6 Rematch (if necessary), 2:30 p.m.

Tournament History

Stony Brook will be making its eighth appearance at the America East Tournament this week. The Seawolves have won at least one tournament game in six of their previous seven appearances and own an 11-12 all-time record at the competition.

Stony Brook has appeared in the America East title game three times (2005, 2008, 2010) and won the conference championship in 2008. The Seawolves were then sent to the Tempe Regional where the team faced host Arizona State, Hawaii and Mississippi State in the NCAA Tournament.

The Seawolves have faced Albany eight times in the America East Tournament and both teams have won four games. Stony Brook defeated the Great Danes in the 2012 tournament opener, but fell to Albany on the second day in an elimination game. Stony Brook has never faced Binghamton or Hartford in the conference tournament.

Stony Brook vs. Albany, Binghamton and Hartford

Stony Brook posted a 2-7 mark against Albany, Binghamton and Hartford this season, but the record doesn't tell the whole story. Five of the nine games were decided by one run, including a 4-3 win at Albany on Apr. 13. The Seawolves pitching staff was particularly dominant against the three tournament opponents with a 1.93 ERA and a .239 opponent batting average.

All-Conference Honorees

Six Stony Brook players were honored by the America East on Wednesday as All-Conference performers. Freshman Alexandra Pisciotta (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) was named first-team All-America East and was placed on the America East All-Rookie Team. Sophomores Bria Green(Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) and Shayla Giosia (Runnemede, N.J.) and junior Christine Lucido (Melville, N.Y.) were named to the All-Conference second team, while freshman Jane Sallen (Lake Worth, Fla.) joined Pisciotta on the All-Rookie Team. Sophomore Allison Cukrov (Irvine, Calif.) was also honored as an All-Academic selection after posting a 3.92 GPA as an environmental science major.

Streaking Seawolves

Stony Brook enters the America East Tournament playing some of its best softball of the season. The Seawolves have won six straight and capped the regular season with the program's first-ever three-game sweep against Boston University. Here are some statistics and streaks of note entering the postseason:

• Green currently owns the longest hitting streak on the team at eight straight games.
• Over the course of those eight games, Green is hitting .522 (12-for-23) with a home run and six RBI.
• In her last four appearances (20 innings), Cukrov is 3-0 with a 0.35 ERA and 21 strikeouts.
• Kellie Reynolds has five multi-hit performances in her last 14 games.
• Pisciotta has hit safely in 20 of her last 29 games.
• Olivia Mintun has reached base in each of the last nine games.
• Giosia leads the team with 17 multi-hit games this season.
 

2012-13 Stony Brook Men's Basketball Highlight Film