By Dave Diamond
The Pride baseball team jumped in front of a lowly Stony Brook squad but had to sweat out a 5-4 victory at home on Tuesday. Pride closer Jeff Denlea saved the day to get the Pride back on the winning path as it heads into key conference games this weekend.
Denlea threw scoreless eighth and ninth innings, striking out three to nail down a win that seemed in the bag until the later innings. The Pride’s Anthony Sarno and Tom Caltabiano led the way with two hits each, but it was a team effort at the plate as the Blue & Gold had five different players drive in a run.
“It was a tough one, it was a battle at the end of the game,” Denlea said. “It felt really good to play at home today and win.”
The Seawolves struck first off Pride freshman starter Nick Panzarella, who pitched well but did not factor into the decision.
The Pride bats woke up in the fourth inning after having been blanked through the first three innings by Stony Brook’s Tom Koehler. Sarno drew a leadoff walk and second baseman Andy Campana added a single to start the rally. Center fielder Pat Rogers popped a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Sarno and tying the game.
In the fifth, senior shortstop Josh Stern started the inning with a clean base hit, and the Pride put together a string of hits to take the lead. He came around to score on an infield hit by Chris Menstrasti, and Sarno laced an RBI single to right, scoring Menstrasti and giving the Pride a 3-1 lead against a suddenly shaky Koehler.
“It happens a lot in the middle innings because it’s the second time through the lineup and everybody has already gotten an at-bat against the pitcher,” Stern said. “You feel more comfortable up there, you feel like you know everything he’s got.”
Certainly Pride slugger Ricky Caputo had some knowledge about the pitch he blasted in the bottom of the sixth inning. Stern then reached on a throwing error by Seawolf shortstop Andres Perez, and stole second. Caltabiano ripped a base hitto left, scoring Stern and giving the Pride a 5-1 lead that seemed safe.
However, Stony Brook stayed alive with a three-run seventh.Perez atoned for his error with an RBI double to left. Traylor knocked him in with an RBI single as Pride relievers David Huth and Brody Fontaine struggled mightily. To cap the inning, designated hitter PeterMilani brought home Traylor with an RBI double, and the Pride lead was cut to one.
“The mindset is always to win the last three frames,” Stern said. “In college, that’s when games are decided 90 percent of the time.”
Indeed, Pride head coach Chris Dotolo called on Denlea, the dominating closer that has struggled this season, with an ERA above 10.
“When I got the ball from Dotes, all he said was throw strikes and let’s get out of this inning,” Denlea said.
Denlea struck out the first two men he faced, and induced a lineout to third to get out of the jam. He then pitched a perfect ninth to pick up the save, blowing right through the heart of the Seawolf line-up. It was picture-perfect for the Pride, who have its best relief pitcher back in top form heading into more important CAA gamesthis weekend.