The Hofstra University baseball team recorded just one hit in a 15-0 shutout against the defending national champion University of Tennessee on Friday, Feb. 14. This game was their season opener, and their record is now 0-1.
Junior second baseman Dylan Palmer had the Pride’s only hit, a leadoff single in the top of the fourth off Tennessee starter Liam Doyle, the game’s winning pitcher. Doyle pitched a complete game in his debut, despite it being an abridged game.
Jackson Bauer, a junior transfer from Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC), earned his first loss at the Division 1 level after giving up eight runs and 10 hits over 4.0 innings. Of Bauer’s 95 pitches, he only threw 50 strikes, walking eight of the 25 batters he faced.
Bauer was taken out after an unfortunate start as senior reliever Brian Hart made his season debut, pitching a scoreless bottom of the fifth. After allowing a walk to Stone Lawless, Hart retired the next three batters on a flyout, a fielder’s choice and a strikeout to Gavin Kilen.
In the top of the sixth fellow CCBC transfer, junior right fielder Trenton Snyder, was hit by a pitch to open the inning. Snyder was stranded on first after Dom Camera, Michael Brown and Palmer struck out to end the inning.
Hart returned to pitch the bottom of the sixth as the Pride gave up seven runs in the inning. After the leadoff hitter reached first on a Brown throwing error, Hart got Jay Abernathy to line out to Tyler Cox in left field but followed up with a pair of walks to Cannon Peebles and Blake Grimmer. With the bases loaded, Hart was taken out after giving up two unearned runs on a double by Lawless.
With the game out of reach, Hofstra put sophomore infielder Mike Sweeney on the mound for the long final out of the inning. Sweeney hit Reese Chapman, gave up two runs on an Ariel Antigua single, and a three-run homer to Hunter High, before striking out Colby Backus.
Luke Masiuk struck out to start the seventh before Cox reached on an error. Bryce Curry grounded into a double play to end the game.
The Volunteers start the season 1-0, winning six of their last seven games going back to 2024.
The Pride played game two of the three-game series on Saturday, Feb. 15. Graduate pitcher Tristan Nemjo, who missed the entire 2024 season due to injury, started the game for Hofstra. First pitch was at 4 p.m. at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.
