American East Conference

Seawolves Will Play Winner of Vermont/Binghamton for Baseball Crown

5/23/2008 4:00:00 AM

America East Communications

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- With a 1-0 win over Binghamton Friday night at Farmingdale State College, the Seawolves advance to the 2008 America East Baseball Championship title game on Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. The Seawolves will face the winner of the 1-1 match-up between Vermont and Binghamton which will be played Saturday at 3:05 p.m. The Catamounts earned their way into day three of the tournament with a 5-1 win over UMBC earlier Friday.

In the nightcap of Friday's doubleheader, an ultimate pitcher's duel pieced together in front of a crowd of 196. Neither Binghamton's Jeff Dennis or Stony Brook's Gary Novakowski allowed an earned run. The only hit through the first four full innings came in the bottom of the first when Seawolf Michael Stephan blooped a double shallow down the left field line.

The first runner for either team to reach third base was Binghamton rookie Corey Taylor who tripled to right field in the eighth inning. Novakowski found himself in a jam, walking the next batter, Peter Bregartner, to put runners on first and third with one out. A base-running blunder on Taylor's part on the next play proved to be a pivotal part of the game. Ryan James put the ball in play towards the first baseman and reached on a fielder's choice when the Seawolves caught Taylor trying to sneak into home. With a wild pitch to Joe Charron, the Bearcats were on second and third with two outs. The threat ended with Charron striking out swinging.

Stony Brook capitalized in the bottom of the inning. Steve Mazzurco started off the inning putting down a perfect bunt down to third base for a single. Getting a good jump off first base, Mazzurco then drew a wild throw from the catcher, picking up the stolen base and advancing to third. Two batters later, a wild pitch by Dennis scored Mazzurco for the game's only run.

Jordan Purington went to the mound for the top of the ninth to close out the game striking out Kyle Klee and inducing two infield popouts.

Both pitchers in the day's first game threw impressive complete games, but Vermont's Eric Thompson came out victorious to send the Retrievers home early. Thompson's outing was his first nine inning complete game of the season, while Retriever Ed Bach matched his career high striking out seven Catamounts on the day.

The Vermont defense allowed a first inning unearned run similar to the day before against Binghamton when Wink Nolan advanced to third base with an errant pick off attempt that went all the way to the first base side fence. Nolan scored an unearned run on Joe Fowler's RBI ground out to shortstop later in the inning.

UMBC pitcher Ed Bach didn't allow a Vermont hit until the fifth inning when the Catamounts put a two up on the scoreboard to take a 2-1 lead. Miguel Magrass took a lead off walk and moved over to second with Jeff Nolet's sacrifice bunt to the pitcher. The next batter, Corey Moylan tripled into the right field corner to push Magrass around to score the tying run. Still with one out and Moylan on third base, Brad Currier placed a bunt down between the pitcher and the first base line, scoring Moylan with a sacrifice squeeze.

The Catamounts tacked on three more runs the next inning on two straight throwing errors on the Retrievers. Matt Duffy, who drove in two RBI the day before, hit a double to left center scoring Kyle Massie. Duffy eventually came around to score tagging up on a sacrifice fly to right center, representing Vermont's third run of the inning and fifth of the game.

Thompson shut down the Retrievers for the rest of the day, allowing just one seven-inning hit late in the game, and just five hits for the game.

Stony Brook needs to win just one game tomorrow night to win the tournament and the automatic berth into the NCAA Championship. The winner of the Vermont-Binghamton game Saturday afternoon will need to take one from the Seawolves Saturday night as well as a second in Sunday's 12:05 p.m. if necessary game in order to win the crown.