By: by Mark Toma
Box Score
CLEARWATER, Fla. – Stony Brook freshman Taylor Chain's walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh inning gave the Seawolves a, 1-0, win over Kennesaw State in the final game of the 2010 USF Under Armour Showcase at the Eddie C. Moore Complex on Sunday afternoon.
Kennesaw State (12-10) got a strong outing from Jessica Cross (6-3), who suffered her third loss of the season. The right-hander retired the first 12 batters of the game until Kendall Blumenthal led off the fifth inning with a hit, one of only four hits Cross allowed in the game.
Cross, who struck out three batters on the day, allowed back-to-back singles with one out in the seventh inning. A walk to Jade Clare loaded the bases before Chain singled to right-center field for the game-winning hit and her first career run batted in.
The Owls had several opportunities to score in the game. They were able to mount a rally in the third inning when they put runners on second and third with two outs. Lyndsay McCurry, who went 4-for-4 on the day, doubled down the left field line and Ashlee Burkett walked. A wild pitched moved McCurry to third and passed ball moved Burkett to second before Stony Brook starter Alyssa Struzenberg struck out Cross to end the inning.
The Black and Gold rallied again in the fourth inning as they put a pair of runners on base on singles by Jenna Closner and Karlie Gillam. Struzenberg, who had 10 strikeouts in the game, fanned Morgan Chapman and got Jensen Hackett to fly out to right field to keep the game tied.
In the sixth inning, the Owls once again put pressure on the Seawolves when Sharon Swanson and Closner walked to start off the inning. Struzenberg, however, shut down the Owls again, first getting Gillam to line out to second base. She then struck out pinch-hitter Kelsey Kulk before getting Jensen Hackett to pop out to third base. On the day, the Owls stranded nine runners on base as they got just one hit in 16 at-bats with runners on base.
The Owls will be back in action on Thursday afternoon, March 18, when they host Samford at 3:00 p.m. at Bailey Park.
