During the Hofstra University baseball team’s final game before Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play on Wednesday, March 19, they fell to Fordham University 5-2 after recording nine hits. The Pride fell to 7-13 while the Rams improved to 8-13.
“In the first inning we had the opportunity to have a big inning,” said Hofstra’s head coach Frank Catalanotto. “It’s frustrating, but it’s good to see that the guys, even though we didn’t score a lot of runs, we had nine hits. But the thing is, if you want to beat good teams, you’ve got to get the big hit and drive in the runs.”
Sean Lane was the Pride’s offensive leader against the Rams, going 3-4 with a pair of singles and a solo home run to left field that gave Hofstra their first run over Fordham in the bottom of the fourth inning. Lane hit two of his three base hits on full counts, proving his patience at the plate.
“[Lane]’s been swinging the bat really well lately,” Catalanotto said. “He’s got huge runs in each of the last three games, his approach is a lot better, he’s not pulling off the ball.”
Tyler Cox joined Lane as the only players of the Pride to score a run with his own solo shot in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Michael Heyman made his first collegiate start for the Pride in his fifth appearance of the season. He pitched two scoreless innings, including a 1-2-3 second inning, before getting into some trouble on the mound in the third inning, giving up two runs facing seven batters.
Hitting Tim Ford with the first of three wild pitches Heyman threw advanced Ford to scoring position, to which Tommy Markey drove in Ford with an RBI double down the first base line for the first Rams run. Later in the inning, Heyman threw a second wild pitch to send Markey home for his second earned run.
Heyman gave up two walks, both in the second inning, helping Fordham score on fewer hits than the Pride. The Rams scored their five runs on just seven hits from seven different players.
Branden Brown came on in relief of Heyman at the start of the fourth inning, pitching a scoreless top half. Lane’s home run in the bottom half cut Fordham’s lead to 2-1.
Branden Brown returned to the mound in the fifth and gave up two more runs to Fordham after Tyler Castrataro, Michael Brown, and Michael Craig completed a 4-6-3 double play. Matt Dieguez hit an RBI single with runners on first and second, then, with the bases loaded, Branden Brown hit Tommy McAndrews and drove in his second earned run.
Fordham’s starter Ameer Hasan dominated the Pride’s lineup, consistently pitching inside to Hofstra batters. Despite giving up six of the Pride’s hits during the 5.2 innings he pitched, Hasan only gave up the one run scored by Lane’s home run and struck out three batters without allowing a walk.
“Hasan pitched really well, kept us off balance,” Catalanotto said. “He didn’t throw very hard, he was just kind of changing speeds a little bit and putting the ball where he really wanted to and where we couldn’t really hit it.”
Hofstra hit the road to Long Branch, New Jersey, for a three-game series against Monmouth University to open CAA conference play. The Hawks enter their conference slate with a 9-11 record after losing to Rider University 5-2 on Wednesday, March 19. First pitch of Hofstra’s CAA schedule was set for 3 p.m. at MU Baseball Field on Friday, March 21.
