No. 3 Stony Brook University defeated No. 2 University of Maine, 4-2, in the opening game of the America East Baseball Championship at Centennial Field in Burlington, Vt. Stony Brook sophomore Jon Lewis (4-3) pitched eight solid innings, allowing two runs, both unearned, to pick up the win and advance the Seawolves into the winners bracket.
After a scoreless first, Stony Brook (27-19) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. The Seawolves put runners on second and third with one out, and plated the game’s first run on a sacrifice fly by Andrew Larsen, scoring Cole Cicatellii.
Stony Brook extended its lead to 2-0 in the top of the third. Aggressive base running enabled leadoff hitter Lee Lipschutz to stretch a single in to a double. He advanced to third on a single through the left side, and scored on an RBI groundout by Garrett Renner.
Maine (37-17) evened the score in the bottom of the fourth, putting runners on second and third with two outs on a single by Joe Drapeau and a double by Ryan Quintal. An error on the Stony Brook second baseman on a ball off the bat of Mike Livulpi allowed both runners to score.
The Seawolves regained the lead in their next turn at bat, manufacturing a run on a single, a sacrifice bunt, and an RBI single by Matt Devins, which scored Lipschutz from second.
Maine threatened in the bottom of the fifth, putting runners on second and third with two outs, but Lewis induced a groundout to end the threat. The Black Bears did not put a runner in scoring position the rest of the game, as Lewis retired nine of the next 11 batters, including a stretch of seven in a row. Matt Restivo came on with a runner on first in the ninth to record his fourth save of the year.
Stony Brook added an insurance run in the top of the ninth when Larsen scored on a passed ball, after singling and advancing to third on a wild pitch and a ground out.
Lipschutz was three for four on the day, with two runs scored, to lead the Seawolves. Ryan Quintal also connected on three hits in four at bats, to lead the Black Bears.
Mike MacDonald (7-5) went the distance for Maine, allowing four runs, three earned, with two strikeouts.
Stony Brook will play the winner of the winner of the Vermont/Northeastern game, Friday at 3:30 p.m. Maine will play the loser of the Vermont/Northeastern game Friday at 12 noon in an elimination game.
America East Baseball Championship
at Centennial Field, Burlington, Vt.
Thursday, May 22, 2003
Game 1-- No. 3 Stony Brook 4, No. 2 Maine 2
Game 2?No. 1 Vermont, No. 4 Northeastern, 7 p.m.
Friday, May 23, 2003
Game 3?Maine vs. Loser Game 2, 12 noon
Game 4?Stony Brook vs. Winner Game 2, 3:30 p.m.
Game 5?Winner Game 3 vs. Loser Game 4, 7 p.m.
Saturday, May 24, 2003
Game 6?Winner Game 4 vs. Winner Game 5, 12 noon
Game 7?same teams (if necessary) , to follow