Stony Brook Baseball couldn’t have been given a better opportunity to score than in the bottom of the sixth inning. Central Connecticut State Blue Devils first baseman TT Bowens dropped an infield flyball in foul territory that would have helped the Blue Devils get out of the jam, with runners in scoring position. However, The Seawolves’ comeback attempt was looking bleak as freshman Stanton Leuthner trailed 0-2 in the count against senior pitcher Andrew Braun, with two outs.
Leuthner swung on the next pitch over the top of the plate and lunged out of the batter’s box.
“I was looking. I had no idea if it was dropping,” Leuthner said.
The ball weakly fell over the outstretched glove of the diving Matt Bertochi in left-centerfield, landing in between three Blue Devils for a two-run base hit. The hit provided Stony Brook with all the offense it needed as the team won its home opener 3-2, at Joe Nathan Field.
Head coach Matt Senk stressed the importance of improving on offense prior to the game, citing the team only scoring one run during the Clemson series as an example. Stony Brook battled tough pitching and produced seven hits in the contest, the second-most in its last five games. Leuthner was responsible for the game’s most important one.
“I hit every night in the cage,” Leuthner said. “It just really felt good. We had been knocking on the door to score runs all year. And it helped us help [starting pitcher Jared Milch] get this win.”
Milch delivered a lights-out performance on the mound through the first five innings. The senior ace shut down his first ten batters faced and struck out four consecutive batters in the second and third innings. The left-handed pitcher also took a no-hitter into the top of the sixth, but did not let it dictate his pitching after surrendering the lead.
Chris Kanios ended the no-hit bid after starting off the sixth with a single. Kanios later scored off a double down the leftfield line by Chandler Debrosse, tying the game at one. Bowens drove Debrosse home with a single on a full count, two batters later.
“We weren’t trying to worry about [the no-hitter],” Milch said. “We were just trying to take it one batter at a time and keep it a manageable game for my team. We always talk about the big inning and trying not to let that happen. I think I did a good job of minimizing and giving our team a chance to get back in the game.”
Milch finished the game allowing two runs on three hits and two walks, while striking out a season-high seven batters in seven innings of work.
Central Connecticut committed errors that helped produce Stony Brook runs. Brett Paulsen moved from first to third after Blue Devils third baseman Buddy Dewaine threw a bouncer past Bowens. John Tuccillo scored Paulsen off a sacrifice-fly to leftfield. The Blue Devils committed five errors in the contest with three coming from Dewaine.
Braun settled in after allowing the first inning run and kept the Seawolves scoreless through the next four, despite Stony Brook runners getting in scoring position due to errors. The senior allowed three runs off six hits, three walks and struck out four batters on 109 pitches.
The Seawolves stepped up defensively, converting a momentum-changing 3-1-6 double play off closer Brandon Bonnano’s first pitch in the top of the ninth. Dewaine tried extending the game after dropping a bunt down the left foul line, but Bonnano fired a rocket to Chris Hamilton’s outstretched glove that just beat the runner– who dove head first into first base. Hamilton led the game with 11 putouts.
Game two of the three-game series is set to take place on Saturday, March 7th at 1 p.m. The probable starters are Sam Turccotte for Stony Brook and Brandon Fox for Central Connecticut State. The game will be broadcast on America East TV and WUSB 90.1 FM.
