The Hofstra University baseball team dropped their opening matchup against the College of Charleston 11-4 on Thursday, May 15. The loss opened their final week of the season and Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play.
The loss from the Cougars snapped a three-game win streak for the Pride, leading Hofstra to falling to 17-35 on the year with a 7-18 in-conference record. Charleston improved to 33-19 with a 14-11 record in CAA play, winning their eighth consecutive game.
The series opener between the Pride and the Cougars started relatively slow, with only one run coming in the first four innings of play. Will Baumhofer got Charleston on the board early with a first-pitch single to right field, which sent Dariyan Pendergrass home for the first run of the game.
Hofstra came back to claim the lead in the top of the fifth inning. After Charleston starter Jake Brink allowed Trent Jenks and Nick Gallello to reach base on a pair of base hits, he gave up a first-pitch RBI single to Dylan Palmer. Palmer then sent Jenks home. Nick Biddle scored on a fielding error from first baseman Alex LaCoste. Luke Masiuk joined the baserunners on a hit by pitch, then Tyler Castrataro sent Palmer home on a fielder’s choice.
Hofstra starter Tristan Nemjo had pitched five innings while only giving up one run on four hits before being substituted for Brayden Gregg. The rookie reliever had given up two hits in a scoreless sixth inning before being rocked by the Cougars’ seven-run seventh inning.
Gregg opened the inning with a double to LaCoste and a single to Ben Venables before Pendergrass reached on a fielder’s choice that sent LaCoste home. Ethan Plyler reached first base on a catcher’s interference and each baserunner stole a base before coming home on a two-run double from Landon Penfield. Gregg walked two batters before being taken out of the game for Danny Kelleher, who continued to give up runs to the Cougars in the inning.
The first batter Kelleher faced was Avery Neaves, who singled to left field to send Penfield home. With the Cougars batting around, Venables singled up the right side for the last RBI of the inning.
Hofstra narrowed Charleston’s lead to 8-4 on a solo home run from Jenks in the top of the eighth, but it was too late for a rally after the next half-inning when the Cougars tacked on three more runs: a two-run home run from Penfield and an RBI single to Tyler Sorrentino.
The Pride had one more chance of coming back in the ninth inning, when Masiuk reached first base on a single to second base, but Sean Lane ended the game on a first-pitch popout to LaCoste.
Hofstra and Charleston played the middle game of the series on Friday, May 16, at Patriots Point. The first pitch was set for 4 p.m.
