Softball Belts Five Home Runs In Split With Stony Brook
GAME ONE I GAME TWO
STONY BROOK, N.Y. – In the final doubleheader of the regular season, the University at Albany softball team split with Stony Brook, falling 11-3 in five innings before rebounding for a 9-5 victory in the nightcap Saturday at University Field. With the split, the Great Danes earned the No. 3 seed for the America East Tournament with a 31-16 overall record and 11-5 mark in conference play, while the Seawolves will be the No. 4 seed with a 24-22-2 mark on the season and 11-6 conference record.
Junior Caitlin Cooper (2-2) earned the game-two win, allowing five runs and six hits, while striking out six in the complete game.
“Cooper did a great job for us in an important game,” said Head Coach Chris Cannata. “We are not playing well and not pitching well, and she stepped up in a big spot to turn things around.”
The Great Danes knocked eight hits in the victory, including home runs by senior Maggie Cocks, sophomore Donna Conrad, and freshman Sarah Petzold. Petzold finished 2-for-4 at the plate, while junior Liz Snow went 2-for-2 with a game-high three runs batted in.
UAlbany took the lead for good in the top of the third as Cocks and Conrad blasted a pair of two-run home runs.
Stony Brook cut the margin to one, 4-3, scoring a run in the fourth on a bases loaded walk and two in the fifth on Irene Rivera's two-run home run.
However, the Danes made it 7-3 in the top of the sixth as Snow ripped a three-run double to right field with the bases loaded, plating freshman McKenzie Bump, senior Kelly Costello, and Cocks.
With two outs in the top of the seventh, Petzold belted a two-run blast over the left field wall, giving UAlbany a 9-3 advantage.
In the Seawolves' final at-bats, Melissa Phelan lined a two-run double to right-centerfield with two outs, but Cooper secured the victory with a popup to end the game.
Jane Sallen (15-13) took the loss, allowing four runs and six hits in five innings of work. Out of the pen, Maddy Neales tossed the last two innings.
In Saturday's opener, Snow accounted for all three of UAlbany's runs, belting a leadoff home run in the second and a two-run homer in the fifth.
However, Stony Brook used two five-run innings in the third and fourth frames to earn a run-rule win. Phelan belted a grand slam in the third and Chelsea Evans ripped a two-run home run in the fourth as Stony Brook totaled 10 hits in the contest.
Freshman Celeste Verdolivo (14-6) took the loss, allowing nine earned runs in 3.1 innings of work. Sophomore Devin Durando came out of the pen to get the Danes out of the fourth-inning jam.
Snow and Cocks each went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead UAlbany.
Up next, the Great Danes compete in the America East Conference Tournament, held May 11-14 at No. 1 seed Binghamton. UAlbany will play No. 6 Hartford Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.
AMERICA EAST TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE (VESTAL, N.Y.)
Wednesday, May 11
● Game #1 – #4 Stony Brook vs. #5 UMBC –11:00 a.m.
● Game #2 – #3 Albany vs. #6 Hartford – 1:30 p.m.
● Game #3 – Loser Game #1 vs. Loser Game #2 – 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, May 12
● Game #4 – #1 Binghamton vs. Winner Game #1 – 11:00 a.m.
● Game #5 – #2 Maine vs. Winner Game #2 – 1:30 p.m.
● Game #6 – Winner Game #3 vs. Loser Game #4/5 (Lower Seed) – 4:00 p.m.
Friday, May 13
● Game #7 – Winner Game #4 vs. Winner Game #5 – 11:00 a.m.
● Game #8 – Winner Game #6 vs. Loser Game #4/5 (Higher Seed) – 1:30 p.m.
● Game #9 – Winner Game #8 vs. Loser Game #7 – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, May 14
● Game #10 – Championship Game: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #9 – 12:00 p.m.
● Game #11 – If necessary game (if first loss for loser of Game #10):
- Winner Game #10 vs. Loser Game #10 – 2:30 p.m.
