The Hofstra University baseball team took their second series sweep of the season with a 9-1 loss against No. 23 University of Kentucky on Sunday, March 2. The Pride fell to 3-7 on the season while the Wildcats improved to 9-1.
Branden Brown, Hofstra’s starter, continues to be dealt unlucky cards, giving up three earned runs on two hits. Branden Brown struggled to find the center of the strike zone, giving up two walks and hitting five batters over 2.7 innings. He struck out two batters to improve his K count to seven across three appearances.
Branden Brown’s first inning began with giving up consecutive base hits to Luke Lawrence and Shaun Montoya, a sacrifice lineout by Cole Hage to right fielder Luke Masiuk put runners on second and third base. Tyler Bell grounded out to second baseman Dylan Palmer to drive in Lawrence for the first run of the game.
Hofstra tied the game in the bottom of the third, but their run in the third inning was the only run scored by a Pride batter all day. Michael Brown started the inning off with a single into right field and advanced to second base on a sacrifice bunt from Palmer. Tyler Castrataro doubled to left field to bring Michael Brown home for the Pride’s only run off of Kentucky pitcher Ethan Walker.
Castrataro, playing third base for the second straight game, earned his sixth RBI of the season.
Branden Brown returned to the mound in the bottom of the third inning and gave up another run on a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to Dylan Koontz, the third consecutive batter Branden Brown plunked. Tanner Sanderoff came in for relief after Branden Brown gave up another run, walking Devin Burkes to send Carson Hansen home.
Sanderoff wasn’t much luckier in the fourth inning; the sophomore southpaw gave up a base hit from Lawrence and then walked Montoya and Bell, ending his time on the Kentucky mound and being pulled in favor of freshman Brayden Gregg. With the bases loaded for Ethan Hindle, Gregg gave up the sophomore’s first career home run, padding the Wildcat lead to 7-1.
Gregg pitched 2.3 scoreless innings following the grand slam he gave up to Hindle. In the bottom of the seventh, Gregg walked Patrick Herrera, who exited the game replaced by Kyuss Gargett as a pinch runner for him. Lawrence came up next for the Wildcats and hit a line drive to right field, which advanced Gargett to third base, the two batters then executed a double steal, with Lawrence taking second and Gargett stealing home.
In the eighth, it was Gargett who brought home the game’s final run, singling home James McCoy.
Branden Brown took the loss while Kentucky reliever Scott Rouse earned his first win of the season after pitching five scoreless innings.
The Pride return to campus after playing their first four home games at the Farmingdale State Baseball Stadium to host Marist University for a single game. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4.
