The Hofstra University baseball team opened their seven game homestand on Friday, May 2, with a 5-0 loss to Elon University.
The Pride fell to 14-32 overall with a 4-15 conference record. They now hold the bottom spot in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) standings. The Phoenix improved to 21-25 and now hold a winning record against fellow CAA teams, going 10-9 in the first six weeks of conference play.
Both starters – Sean Hamilton for Hofstra and Justin Mitrovich for Elon – recorded quality starts, each going seven innings for their respective teams. Hamilton took the loss after giving up two runs on five hits and three walks. He struck out three batters in his longest outing of the season.
“Every time [Hamilton] goes out there, if we can take something positive from the starts, that’s great,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “If he can kind of build and get some confidence going into next year, I think that’s huge.”
Mitrovich only gave up one hit in his seven scoreless innings, his lowest hit total of the season.
Hofstra’s Bryce Curry appeared for the fifth straight game after missing most of April. He opened the game with an error at third base to put leadoff hitter Jackson Alford in scoring position. Alford moved to third on a groundout from Tank Yaghoubi and came home on an RBI single from Ryan Sprock.
Elon scored their second run of the game when Jake Hajdu came home on a sacrifice fly from Alex Duffey.
Mitrovich didn’t allow a baserunner until walking Luke Masiuk with two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the Pride didn’t get a chance to capitalize as Masiuk was caught stealing to end the inning.
The no-hitter bid ended in the bottom of the seventh when CJ Griggs got Hofstra into the hit column with a double to right field. Griggs, in scoring position, failed to come home after Sean Lane ended the inning on a flyout to Yaghoubi.
Grady Lacourciere relieved Hamilton and pitched two innings of relief, recording a scoreless eighth inning but giving up a three-run home run to Sprock in the ninth. Sprock moved from third base to the pitcher’s mound but remained in the batting order.
Hofstra attempted to make a comeback in the bottom of the ninth with Dylan Palmer recording his only hit of the game in the last moments and took first base on a single to center field. Michael Brown and Griggs joined Palmer on the base path, but Sean Lane ended the game on a swinging strikeout, leaving the bases loaded.
“[The team] showed some fight there in the last inning,” Catalanotto said. “We did have a chance if Lane got on there. Castrataro was hitting behind him; we had a chance to tie the game up. I guess you can say that the guys didn’t give up today. They fought all the way to the last out.”
Despite their offensive struggles, Hofstra’s defense stood tall, especially Brown, who initiated a double play and made several solid plays at shortstop.
“I thought [Brown] had a great game today,” Catalanotto said. “Defensively he’s throwing the ball better. Early in the season, he was having a tough time with his arm. He wasn’t throwing the ball well. He’s playing with some confidence, and that’s what we need from him.”
The Pride continued their series against the Phoenix on Saturday, May 3, at University Field. The first pitch was set for 1 p.m.