The Hofstra University baseball team took their 10th mercy-rule loss of the season, falling 13-2 to Seton Hall University on Wednesday, April 30. The Pride fell to 14-31 on the season while the Pirates improved to 19-26.
Hofstra’s only scoring came in the top of the fourth inning when the Pride put a pair of runs on the scoreboard. With one out, Luke Masiuk singled to center field and then stole second base. Dom Camera came up with two outs, reaching base on a fielding error from Seton Hall shortstop Gabe Cavazzoni to send Masiuk home.
CJ Griggs, the only Pride batter to record an RBI against the Pirates, followed Camera with a full-count double to right field, which sent Camera home for Hofstra’s second of two runs.
Despite the solid offensive inning, the Pride had already dug themselves into a deep hole.
Prior to Hofstra’s scoring, the Pride pitchers gave up eight runs in just the span of two innings. Hofstra starter Brayden Gregg walked Dylan Pacheco, who came home on an RBI double from Marco Ali. After Ali’s double, Cavazzoni hit a triple to right field to send Ali home.
Hofstra utilized Brian Hart and Christian Rasmussen in the next inning. The two were responsible for six additional runs. Hart opened the bottom of the third by hitting two batters and surrendering a walk, then gave up his first run of the day on a sacrifice fly by Nick Ferri that was hit to center fielder Michael Craig. Hart’s final allowed run came on a single down the third-base line to Jimmy Brennan, who drove in AJ Soldra.
Rasmussen walked a run home and then immediately allowed another runner to score, this time on a wild pitch. Cavazzoni and Ali, on second and third base, respectively, both came home on an RBI single from Aiden Robbins.
The score remained 8-2 until the bottom of the sixth inning when Hofstra’s John McCready gave up five runs to Seton Hall to secure a Pirates mercy-rule victory. Ferri and Soldra came home on a fielding error from third baseman Dylan Palmer with one out. Ali upped his RBI total on the day to three on a two-run triple to send Pacheco and Brennan home, then scored on an RBI groundout by Cavazzoni.
Gregg took the loss after putting up two runs on two hits and two walks in two innings. Patrick Benn remains undefeated this season with his second win this year without giving up a hit or run.
Hofstra returned to conference play at home when they hosted Elon University for a three-game series. First pitch was set for 2 p.m. on Friday, May 2, at University Field on Hofstra’s campus.
