May 8, 2008

Box Score

Albany, N.Y. - The day after being named the America East Pitcher of the Year, sophomore Alyssa Struzenberg (Cooper City, Fla.) threw a one-hit complete game shutout against No. 2 Boston University to give the No. 3 Seawolves a 3-0 win during day one of the America East Championship. The win is Stony Brook's 31st on the year, which is a new school record for wins in a single season.

The Seawolves wasted little time scoring their first run of the postseason, as junior Kelly Oberto (Spring Lake Heights, N.J.) lined a double to right field in the top of the second inning, scoring junior Molly Kestranek (St. Mary's, Ga.) from second base. Oberto's double was the first hit of the game for Stony Brook and the last one they would get until the seventh inning.

Struzenberg kept the Terrier's in check though, striking out eight in her seven innings of work. The only hit the Seawolves allowed was a bunt down the first base line in the fifth inning.

Stony Brook's bats came alive in the seventh, starting with a leadoff single to left by Oberto. Sophomore Crista Cerrone (Floral Park, N.Y.) then grounded to the first baseman who failed to make a play on Oberto running to second, which put runners on first and second with nobody out. Senior Ashley Westphal (Huntington Beach, Calif.) laid down a bunt to sacrifice the runners over to second and third, and Oberto then scored on a groundout by sophomore Vicki Kavitsky (Cherry Hill, N.J.).

With Cerrone now on third, junior Kelsi Fanelli (Audubon, N.J.) singled down the leftfield line, scoring Cerrone and increasing the Seawolves lead to 3-0.

Struzenberg walked the first Terrier she faced in the seventh, but battled back retiring the next three hitters she faced to end the game and move Stony Brook into the winner's bracket.

The Seawolves will now face regular-season champion University at Albany Friday morning at 11 a.m. with the winner of that game advancing to the championship game.