The Hofstra University baseball team took their fourth consecutive Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series loss when they lost 7-5 to Stony Brook University at home on Saturday, April 19, a much closer loss than the series opener.
With the loss, Hofstra remains at the bottom of the CAA with a 13-26 record overall and a 3-11 record in conference play. Stony Brook improved to a 19-16 overall record with a 7-7 record against CAA teams.
Suffering the loss of regular center fielder Tyler Cox, who is out with a knee injury, Hofstra’s defensive alignment looked different through the first two games of the series. Dom Camera, usually a catcher, made his second consecutive start in left field, a position he had not played since the 2023 season. Camera made three successful flyouts as the left fielder against the Seawolves, including a diving catch towards the foul line in the top of the first inning.
“I think [Camera] is filling in good the last two days in left field, a position that he’s really never played,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “I thought he looked good out there, and we’ll see if we’re going to stick with him out there or put him behind the plate, but I’m happy with the way the outfield has played lately.”
Just like the series opener, the Pride pitched a scoreless opening inning but struggled to keep runners on base in the next inning. Hofstra starter Jackson Bauer faced each batter in the Seawolves lineup during the second inning, giving up an RBI single to Matt Miceli, an RBI double to Nick Zampieron and a two-run base hit to Erik Paulsen.
Hofstra fought back in the bottom of the third, eventually holding a short-lived 5-4 lead. Tyler Castrataro led off the inning with his only hit of the game, a solo home run to center field. Dylan Palmer followed with a one-out double and scored on a hit from Nick Biddle. CJ Griggs joined Biddle on the basepath, then Luke Masiuk sent both freshmen home on a first-pitch three-run home run.
“To bounce back after we gave up a big inning and to take the lead, we were feeling pretty good,” Catalanotto said. “We lost that pretty quickly, but it was nice that the guys responded.”
The Pride lead came to be a mirage, as Bauer’s pitching struggles returned in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of walks given up to Miceli and Paulsen, who came home on the only Stony Brook home run of the game, a three-run shot by Nico Azpilcueta. The Seawolves took a two-run lead that remained for the end of the game.
Danny Kelleher came in for five innings of relief without giving up a run, despite giving up one base hit in 56 pitches.
“I thought [Kelleher] was outstanding,” Catalanotto said. “He was doing what we try to tell these guys, pound the zone, use the defense, let these guys hit the ball and use the defense, and I thought he was locating the ball very well and mixing up his pitches very well.”
Bauer took the loss while Stony Brook reliever Jacob Pedersen took the win after only giving up two hits in 5.2 scoreless innings.
Hofstra concluded their series against Stony Brook with an Easter Sunday matinee on Sunday, April 20. The first pitch was set for noon.
