Albany, N.Y. - The Stony Brook softball team split a pair of extra-inning games against conference rival Albany on Saturday, helping head coachMegan Bryant win her 700th career game. The Seawolves fell, 2-1, in 13 innings in the opener, before posting a 4-3 win in eight innings in game two.
With the victory, Bryant becomes just the 35th coach in NCAA Division I history to reach the 700-win plateau.
Game One
In a marathon affair, the Great Danes (20-10, 7-1 America East) rallied for a dramatic 2-1 victory in 13 innings. Stony Brook struck first in the third when freshman Alexandra Pisciotta (New Hyde Park, N.Y.) swatted her first-career home run off Albany starter Brittany MacFawn.
The lead held until the seventh when the Great Danes fought back to tie. After two quick outs to open the frame, Marlin Solano doubled to right to give the hosts a runner in scoring position. Annie Johnson then knocked in Solano with an infield hit to bring the score to 1-1.
Stony Brook (22-16, 5-3 America East) had a glorious chance to re-take the lead in the 12th, but the Seawolves could not capitalize with a runner on third and one out.
The Great Danes then came up big once again with two outs, this time in the 13th. After a double hit by Johnson was misplayed in left field, Lauren Alcorn raced home to score from first to give Albany the victory.
MacFawn was strong throughout, striking out 16 batters, despite allowing 12 Stony Brook hits in a complete-game effort. Seawolves' starter Allison Cukrov (Irvine, Calif.) was also brilliant, allowing just one earned run in 12.2 innings, striking out six.
Pisciotta finished the game 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run and was one of three Seawolves to record at least two hits in the game.
Game Two
The second game was also tightly-contested, but ended in favor of the Seawolves. After six scoreless innings, Stony Brook finally broke through first in the seventh when Pisciotta homered for the second time on the day, a two-run shot, to make it 2-0.
Just like the first game, Albany rallied to tie in the seventh. Lauren Alcorn singled in the first run, before a second run scored courtesy of a Seawolves' error. Albany nearly won the game in the seventh when Vicky McFarland tapped a bases-loaded grounder to the circle, but reliever Jane Sallen (Lake Worth, Fla.) fired home for the force out.
The Seawolves then took control in the eighth, again using the longball to their advantage. Junior Nicole Hagerty (Sicklerville, N.J.) and sophomore Bria Green (Wheatley Heights, N.Y.) hit back-to-back homers to lead off the frame and give Stony Brook a 4-2 lead.
Albany tacked on a run in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch, but could not rally one final time as the Seawolves held on for the split.
Junior Christine Lucido (Melville, N.Y.) started the game for Stony Brook and turned in an efficient performance with 6.1 innings, one earned run and four strikeouts. Sallen earned the win in relief to improve to 5-6 on the year.
The Numbers Game
• Stony Brook outhit Albany in both games, recording a 25-17 hit advantage on the day.
• Pisciotta finished the day 6-for-10 with two home runs, three RBI and two runs.
• Sophomore Shayla Giosia (Runnemede, N.J.) had three hits in game two.
• Freshman Patty Borges (Berkley, Mass.) has now hit safely in six straight games.
Up Next
The Seawolves and Great Danes will play the rubber match of the series on Sunday at noon.
