Stony Brook eliminates UMaine

STONY BROOK, N.Y. ? Kristen Brust ended the second-longest softball game in America East postseason tournament history with a three-run home run to left center in the bottom of the 13th inning to give fourth-seeded Stony Brook a 3-0 victory over Maine Friday afternoon.

The third-seeded UMaine Black Bears finish the season 16-26 after their second straight extra-inning playoff loss. The 21-35 Seawolves moved on to face No. 2 Boston University.

Angela Andrews notched the win for Stony Brook with 13 innings of five-hit, seven-strikeout, two walk ball.

Brust’s home run was one of only five hits yielded by Maine pitcher Sarah Bennis, who struck out 14 batters and walked two in 12 2/3 innings of work. Leadoff hitter Jess Brady was the only multiple hitter in the game with two singles. She also swiped three bases.

Maine’s best opportunity came in the 11th, when Brittany Cheney led off with a single, advanced on bunt that resulted in an error and runners at the corners, but a fielder’s choice grounder resulted in Cheney getting thrown out at home and Maine left another runner stranded at third.

Maine (16-26) 000 000 000 000 0 ? 0 5 2

Stony Brook (21-35) 000 000 000 000 3 ? 3 5 4

Bennis and Tibbetts; Andrews and Blair

Baseball

E. Conn. State 9, USM 5

At Mansfield, Conn., Eastern Connecticut State University scored four unearned runs off an infield error with two outs in the eighth inning to eliminate the University of Southern Maine from the Little East Conference tournament Friday.

For the 30-12 Warriors, Marc Garofalo led the way with a triple, double, single, and four RBIs. Jason Pekrul hit two doubles and a single. Leon Galemba and Tom Koch each singled twice.

Freshman outfielder Eddie Skeffington paced the USM Huskies offense with a double and three singles. Freshman Rich McGraw had a double and a single while Tip Fairchild of Monmouth had two singles.

E. Conn. State (30-12) 400 010 040 ? 9 13 1

Southern Maine (25-14) 000 400 100 ? 5 12 2

Esposito, Cremins (4), Bongoivani (4). O’Brien (7) and Cooney; Rogers, Fairchild (1), Foley (8) and Arsenault