The Hofstra University baseball team extended their losing streak to five games with an 11-3 loss at the University of Delaware on Friday, April 25.
Following the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) matchup, the Pride fell to 13-29 overall and remain in last place in CAA standings with a 3-13 in-conference record. The Fightin’ Blue Hens improve to 23-17 with a 9-7 record against CAA opponents, occupying the fourth spot in the CAA standings.
Luke Masiuk and Bryce Curry were the only Pride batters to record hits off Delaware pitching in the series opener. Masiuk had one on the day, which was a two-out solo home run that counted for the first run scored by either team. Masiuk ended the day with two runs batted in, the second coming in the top of the third inning.
With bases loaded, Delaware scored their first run of the game off Hofstra starter Sean Hamilton on a forced run from a one-out walk to Andrew Amato, but the righty struck out and forced a flyout to the next two batters.
Delaware starter Ethan Shaub loaded the bases in the third inning by walking Nick Biddle, hitting Dylan Palmer, and walking Michael Brown. Masiuk hit into a fielder’s choice that got Brown out at second base but allowed Biddle to score. A throwing error from Delaware first baseman Evan Bouldin allowed Palmer a home run as the Pride’s final run of the game.
Hamilton opened the bottom of the third with two hits and gave up two more runs. With Aiden Stewart on first base, Hamilton gave up a two-run home run to Bouldin to tie up the game.
Danny Kelleher gave up a solo home run to Aaron Graeber to lead off the fourth inning and struck out three batters the next inning but. After an error from Palmer at third base, he was taken out of the game for Tanner Sanderoff, who completed a scoreless fifth inning.
Delaware continued to drive in runs. Amato led off the inning with a base hit to right field and Jackson Tyer drew a walk before Brett Lesher drove Amato home. Right after Lesher’s RBI hit, Tanner Donati hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Masiuk, driving Tyer in.
Grady Lacourciere, who came in for the final out of the seventh inning, struggled to keep runners on the base path, giving up five runs in the eighth inning. Lacourciere loaded up the bases on an error from left fielder Dom Camera and a pair of walks before walking Lesher for the first of five unearned runs for the rookie right hander. The second run of the inning came from a hit by pitch to Rory Finn, while the final runs came on a double from Graeber.
Despite Lacourciere’s troubling inning, he had a pair of strikeouts.
The Pride returned to Bob Hannah Stadium on Delaware’s campus for game two in the final in-conference meeting between the two teams on Saturday, April 26. The first pitch was set for 6:30 p.m.
