Stony Brook baseball team ousted
The Stony Brook bench reacts as they lose to Albany 4-1. (May 27, 2011) Credit: Kevin P Coughlin
It was supposed to be a gimme game for Stony Brook, but the Seawolves led by only a run after six innings in Friday's America East Tournament consolation bracket final.
Then came the bottom of the seventh. Brandon McNitt had allowed only one hit to Albany, a team Stony Brook had beaten in all five meetings this season, including a 12-run drubbing Wednesday. But with men at first and second and one out, D.J. Hoagboon lined a two-run double down the leftfield line to put Albany ahead by a run. Nolan Gaige and Kyle Crean had two-out RBI singles off James Campbell later in the inning as fourth-seeded Albany upset top-seeded Stony Brook, 4-1, at Joe Nathan Field.
Second-seeded Maine then earned a 10-1 victory over Albany (21-31) later Friday for the America East title.
The loss likely ends the season for the Seawolves (42-12) -- who beat Albany, 14-2, in the first round of the tournament -- but there is a slim chance of an at-large selection to the NCAA Tournament. The field will be announced at 12:30 p.m. Monday on ESPN.
"I was trying to throw the ball hard. It wasn't going where I wanted it to go," McNitt said. "Kind of lost control and just couldn't throw strikes and ended up giving up two walks and then a hit here, a hit there. I kept wanting to throw strikes [and] get out of the inning as soon as I can so the hitters can do their thing."
Stony Brook catcher Pat Cantwell said of McNitt's pitch to Hoagboon, "That's a good pitch. That kid's been struggling all week on that pitch and hit it hard down the line. Can't really do anything about it."
Kasceim Graham went nine innings for Albany, holding SBU to six hits and two walks and striking out seven.
Two hit batsmen gave Stony Brook runners on first and second with none out in the ninth, but Graham struck out Travis Jankowski, retired Sal Intagliata on a lineout to left and got Keith Murakami to ground to first to end it.
Intagliata doubled to left to begin the fifth and scored on Cantwell's sacrifice fly.
Cantwell doubled to begin the game and reached third with one out, but William Carmona struck out and Maxx Tissenbaum flied out. Stony Brook also threatened in the fourth and sixth. "If you don't capitalize early when guys are in scoring position, that usually comes back to bite you," coach Matt Senk said. "We had some chances to add on two or three runs, and that changes the mindset of everybody and how the game is played."
