The wild NCAA tournament Super Regional opener between Stony Brook and national powerhouse LSU was suspended after a two-hour and 34-minute rain delay yesterday while in the top of the 12th in Baton Rouge, La. The game, tied 6-6, will resume today at 11 a.m. (EDT). Game 2 of the best-of-three series will start 50 minutes after the first game ends.
The inclement weather, which included heavy rain and lightning, postponed what was a thrilling matchup. Stony Brook held leads of 2-0, 3-2 and 4-3, only to watch LSU to rally three times with home runs in what could have been the Tigers’ last at-bat.
Stony Brook right-hander Brandon McNitt struck out three and allowed just one unearned run over seven innings. Right fielder Sal Intagliata’s two-run, second-inning homer stood up until the ninth, when reliever James Campbell allowed a leadoff homer to LSU’s JaCoby Jones.
Stony Brook answered in the 10th, on left fielder Steven Goldstein’s home run, but after Campbell retired the first two hitters, Tyler Moore pulled LSU even again with a solo shot into the right-field bleachers on a full-count offering.
In the 11th, Tottenville alumnus and designated hitter Kevin Krause plated center fielder Travis Jankowski with a sacrifice fly, but Mason Katz led off the bottom of the frame with a towering blast off reliever Jasvir Rakkar.
Stony Brook, just the third fourth seed to reach the Super Regionals and the nation’s only 50-win team, had plenty of chances to add on runs. The Seawolves had 14 hits, but bounced into three double plays.