Stony Brook Drowns LSU 7-2

Mouton the rally monkey?  A moot point.

The gold jerseys?  A no go.

Night time at Alex Box?  Not the right time.

Nothing LSU tried worked Sunday night as Stony Brook continued its remarkable run in the postseason by stunning #7 national seed and top-ranked LSU 7-2 to win the Baton Rouge Super-Regional and advance to the College World Series for the first time in program history.

Frankie Vanderka (3-3) bounced back after taking the loss in game one's suspended game, pitching a complete game three hitter and Stony Brook pounded five LSU pitchers for fifteen hits en route to their 28th win in their last 31 games.

The Seawolves (52-13) jumped on top in the first inning on an RBI single by Willie Carmona.  But LSU struck right back on Mason Katz' home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the game 1-1.

Katz' homer would be the only hit LSU would get until the seventh inning.  By that time, the Seawolves led 6-1.  The America East champions got to LSU starter Ryan Eades (5-3) in the third inning as Travis Jankowski doubled to deep right-center.  Eades retired the next two batters, but Maxx Tissenbaum's double scored Jankowski, Kevin Krause plated Tissebaum with a single and after Cole Peragine blooped a single to center and Steven Goldstein singled home Krause to end Eades' day and give Stony Brook a 4-1 lead.

Even when things went LSU's way, they didn't go LSU's way.

With one out in the fourth inning, Pat Cantwell was hit by a pitch from Joe Broussard.  On a 3-2 pitch to Carmona, Cantwell took off for second.  The pitch was ball four but LSU catcher Ty Ross threw the ball into center field, allowing Cantwell to take third.  Tissenbaum was then hit by a pitch, but LSU coach Paul Manieri protested, thinking the ball hit the bat as well as Tissenbaum.  After a conference, Manieri won the argument.  But on the next pitch, Tissenbaum doubled home both runners to extend Stony Brook's lead to 6-1.

LSU got two men on in the bottom of the fourth, but Goldstein ran down Tyler Hanover's liner to left to end that threat.  And, that would be the last time LSU (47-18) would get a base runner until the seventh.

In the seventh with one out, Alex Edward doubled and Hanover singled him to third.  It was the only time in the series that LSU recorded back to back hits.  Austin Nola's sacrifice fly scored Edward to make it 6-2, but Stony Brook got that run back in the eighth inning on a double by Carmona, a sacrifice and a Krause blooper over the Tigers' drawn in infield.

Vanderka retired the final six Tigers' hitters to start the dogpile and continue the Seawolves' incredible season.

Vanderka retired seventeen Tigers on fly balls, some of them hit very well.  But the Seawolves' outfield always seemed to have the Tigers' hitters played well and those balls fell harmlessly into the mitts of the defense.  Vanderka walked four and struck out five.

Stony Brook becomes the first #4 seed to advance to the College World Series since Fresno State did it enroute to winning the national championship in 2008.  The Seawolves will meet UCLA in their first game at TD Ameritrade Stadium in Omaha.