By Dylan Butler
Nick Theoharis and Jonathan Lewis had their share of success on the high school diamond, but now the Queens natives are making a name for themselves as freshmen at Stony Brook.
In an America East game against Vermont Sunday, Theoharis, a Bayside native who batted .427 with seven homeruns and 28 RBIs for St. Francis Prep last season, hit the game-winning double in the bottom of the 13th inning to lift the Seawolves to a 7-6 win in the first game of a home doubleheader. It was his first collegiate hit in just four at-bats.
While Lewis didn’t get the win, he was brilliant on the mound. The 6-foot-1 righty, who had a 0.58 earned run average and 68 strikeouts in 39 innings for Francis Lewis last year, pitched 11 innings, allowing two earned runs on nine hits while striking out 10.
Lewis, who is 4-1 with a team-low 2.04 ERA this season for the Seawolves, was named America East Rookie of the Week, the conference announced Monday. Lewis was also named Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 3.
Following a 2-1 loss at Campbell University on March 1, in which he struck out eight, walked three and allowed two runs in 5.2 innings, Lewis has won four straight and has struck out at least seven in five of his six outings.
Archbishop Molloy grad Ed Kull is also having a stellar season at Stony Brook. The junior catcher from Middle Village is third on the team with a .297 batting average, with a team-high five home runs, including two in a 12-8 loss to Vermont Saturday, and 17 RBIs. Kull has started all 22 games for the Seawolves.
Baseball
Notre Dame 5, St. John’s 2. The Fighting Irish broke a 2-2 tie with three runs in the seventh inning, capped by Andrew Bushey’s two-run single, to take the third game of a three-game set Sunday at Eck Stadium in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame improved to 17-11, 5-5 in the Big East, while St. John's is now 13-14, 5-5.
After hosting Georgetown in a noon doubleheader Friday, St. John’s takes on Virginia Tech Sunday in another conference doubleheader. The Hokies are tied with Connecticut atop the conference with a 7-3 record.
St. John’s 4, Notre Dame 3. The Red Storm scored three runs in the first inning, capped by Josh Young’s bases loaded single to left center, and added one run in the fourth inning to salvage a doubleheader split Saturday.
Greg Holmes improved to 3-1 after throwing 5.2 innings and allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits. Mike Tamulionis earned the save in 2.1 innings, striking out three, including the final two Irish batters with runners on second and third.
Notre Dame 4, St. John’s 1. The Irish scored two in the third and two more in the fourth to take the opening game of the series. Freshman Jim Wladyka dropped to 1-4 with the loss.
Softball
Queens 4, New Haven 3. Crystal Wilson belted the game-winning homerun in the bottom of the seventh to lead the Lady Knights (8-12, 6-6) to a one-run victory over New York Collegiate Athletic Conference foes New Haven in the nightcap of a doubleheader Monday at Queens.
After a doubleheader at Felician Thursday, Queens hosts conference rival Concordia Saturday. First pitch of the doubleheader is at noon.
Queens 3, New Haven 1. Diana DiGilio tossed a complete-game two-hitter, striking out seven and allowing one unearned run in the first game of the doubleheader. New Haven dropped to 9-17-1.
Adelphi 7, Queens 4. Theresa Kotulak belted a pinch-hit solo homerun and Toni Trapani added a three-run triple to cap a five-run top of the 10th for the Panthers, who broke a 2-2 tie in the nightcap of a NYCAC doubleheader Saturday at Queens. Danielle Battaglia went 3-for-5 with an RBI for the Lady Knights.
Adelphi 6, Queens 4. Tara Rice went 3-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs and Allison Schultz struck out four and walked one in the opening game. Wilson was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs to lead Queens.
Notre Dame 4, St. John’s 0. Jarrah Myers belted a three-run home run off the scoreboard in left field to give the Fighting Irish a 4-0 lead Saturday at Red Storm Field. Carrie Wisen earned the win for Notre Dame (14-12, 4-0), allowing just two hits in four innings.
Notre Dame 8, St. John’s 0. Notre Dame scored four runs in the top of the first inning to cruise to a second straight shutout in the nightcap. Meghan Allman gave up four runs on five hits and five walks in five innings while Jessica Cameron allowed four runs on five hits with one walk and one strikeout in two innings of relief.
Reach Associate Sports Editor Dylan Butler by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 143.
