Teaneck, N.J. - Stony Brook University's baseball team scored eight runs in the eighth inning to rally for its eighth straight victory, a 17-12 victory over the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights on Tuesday afternoon. The back-and-forth game featured eight lead changes and a combined 33 hits.
Stony Brook (27-9) trailed 12-8 entering the eighth but then exploded for eight runs to take control of the game. SBU had eight hits in the inning and sent 11 batters to the plate.
Sophomore Travis Jankowski (Lancaster, Pa.) led off the inning with a bunt single and then came home on an RBI double from freshman Joshua Mason (Woodland Hills, Calif.). Freshman Kevin Courtney (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) followed with a two-run home run to pull Stony Brook within one.
The Seawolves then put runners on second and third with one out before sophomore Maxx Tissenbaum (Toronto, Ontario) drilled a two-run double to left to give SBU the lead for good. Tissenbaum scored on a run-scoring single from sophomore Tanner Nivins (Kitchener, Ontario) before Jankowski capped the inning with his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to right.
Jankowski finished with three hits and three RBI while sophomore William Carmona (Hempstead, N.Y.) drove in four runs. Sophomore Jasvir Rakkar (Brampton, Ontario) hurled 3.0 scoreless innings of relief to earn the victory. Rakkar did not allow a hit and walked just one.
Stony Brook jumped to a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run home run from senior Stephen Marino (Lake Grove, N.Y.). But the Knights rallied for four runs in the bottom of the inning highlighted by a three-run home run off the bat of Ryan Kresky.
But the Seawolves rallied in the third, taking a 5-4 lead on a three-run homer to center from Carmona. FDU grabbed the lead back on a two-run double from Joe Martino in the bottom of the third.
SBU again had an answer though, scoring two more runs in the fourth. Jankowski led off with a home run and senior Chad Marshall (Paris, Ontario) added a two-out RBI double. Marshall finished with four hits in five at-bats.
FDU vaulted back in front in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run single by Brian Dillon. Stony Brook scored an unearned run in the sixth to tie it but the Knights scored four runs in the bottom of the inning to take the 12-8 lead.
The Seawolves return to action on Wednesday, traveling to take on Fairfield. First pitch is set for 3:30 p.m.
