On Sunday, April 20, the Hofstra University baseball team fell victim to their second run-rule loss in just three days, falling 10-0 to Stony Brook University in the final game of a three-game series.
Hofstra was in the game, trailing only 1-0 heading into the seventh inning, but the Seawolves’ bats exploded, crossing the plate nine times in the seventh to seal the win. The Pride were swept in this year’s edition of the Battle of Long Island and remain in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) cellar with a 3-12 conference record. The Seawolves improved to 8-7 and are locked in a three-way tie for fourth place with the University of Delaware and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Tristan Nemjo started for the Pride and pitched into the seventh inning for the fourth game in a row. He made his way through the first two innings with little fanfare, striking out two Seawolves and only allowing one hit.
The Pride threatened in the bottom half of the first inning. Stony Brook’s third baseman Brett Davino couldn’t handle a ground ball from CJ Griggs, who reached on the error. Luke Masiuk was then hit by John Rizzo’s first-pitch fastball and made his way to first base. With runners on first and second, Hofstra’s bats faltered, Sean Lane – who committed an eventually harmless error in the top of the first – and Michael Craig both flew out to end the early threat.
In the top of the third, the Seawolves broke the ice. After two quick outs, Erik Paulsen ripped a single into left field to keep the inning alive. Nico Azpilcueta, a First Team Junior College All-American last season, capitalized on the baserunner. Azpilcueta smashed a ball off the top of the left field wall, barely missing a home run, he settled for an RBI double and a 1-0 lead. Nemjo stranded Azpilcueta at second and limited the damage to just one run.
Hofstra threatened again in the bottom of the frame. Michael Brown took a four-pitch walk and advanced to second base when Griggs ripped a single up the middle to put a man in scoring position for the second time. Rizzo buckled down once again though, getting Masiuk to pop out and inducing a flyout from Lane.
The fourth inning saw some spectacular defense from both sides. In the top half, Brown turned an unassisted double play, fielding a hard line drive hit directly to him at the shortstop position and tagging second, which retired the side. Stony Brook got Hofstra right back in the home half though, after Tyler Castrataro was hit by a pitch and Dom Camera singled, the Pride once again had men on first and second with one out. Rizzo buckled down yet again and ended the threat by inducing a 6-4-3 double play from Nick Biddle.
Both starters settled in for a time, with only one combined hit in the next two innings. However, when Nemjo took the mound for the seventh inning, the floodgates opened. Brett Davino gave Stony Brook some insurance with a two-run homer over the right field fence. The Seawolves offense, now holding a three-run lead, exploded. Stony Brook batted around and essentially had a conga line on the basepaths. Hit after hit rained down on University Field, by the time the onslaught was over, Nemjo had been removed from the game, he finished with four strikeouts and gave up nine earned runs on 13 hits in 6.2 innings.
The Pride will stay at home for their next action, a single home game against New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) on Wednesday, April 23. The first pitch is scheduled for 3 p.m.
