The Hofstra University baseball team took their first mercy-rule loss of the 2026 season in the middle game of their series at Liberty University on Saturday, Feb. 28, an unfortunate feat taken by last year’s squad 10 times. The 13-2 loss took six and a half innings to complete.
With the loss, the Pride fell to 0-5 on the season while the Flames improved to 6-3.
Michael Brown left the game after reaching first on a throwing error from Liberty second baseman Dylan Grabowski and was replaced by Sam Leonard, a junior transfer from Alcorn State University. CJ Griggs knocked a one-out double to send Leonard home for the Pride’s first run of the game.
This is the fourth time of Hofstra’s young season in which the Pride’s offense woke up before their opponent.
A lead became a mirage for the Pride, as the team’s young pitching staff continued to show signs of weakness. Grady Lacourciere made his first collegiate start but only stayed in the game for two-thirds of an inning.
The nightmare bottom of the first began when Lacourciere gave up a single to Tanner Marsh, who managed to steal second and third base. Grabowski walked with one out, and advanced to second base on a balk, while Marsh scored the first run for the Flames. Lacourciere hit Jaxon Sorensen, and both baserunners advanced on a wild pitch. Then, Ryan Drumm hit a two-run single with two outs. Anderson Fulk walked, and Moore sent Drumm and Fulk home on a single up the middle.
Jackson Bauer, made his season debut, relieving Lacourciere, recording a strikeout to end the inning, keeping the score 5-1 after one inning.
Two and a half quiet innings followed, then Liberty struck big again in the bottom of the fourth. Bauer successfully got the first two batters of the inning out, but the Flames batted around for the final out of the inning. Bauer gave up an RBI single to Sorensen and was pulled after hitting Easton Swafford to put runners on first and second base.
Reno Spagnoli, a redshirt freshman utility transfer from Seton Hall University, who came off a successful appearance against Mississippi State University, gave up three runs on four batters faced. Spagnoli loaded up the bases with an initial hit by pitch, then walked in a pair of runs while driving a third in from a second hit by pitch.
Joseph Curreri made his season debut after missing the 2025 season due to injury. He also got unlucky with the batters he faced, as he drove in four runs, including an advanced runner from a wild pitch, a two-run single and an RBI double, before giving up a flyout to end the inning.
Curreri remained in the remainder of the short game and did not give up any more runs.
With one out in the top of the sixth, Gabriel Melara grounded out to shortstop to drive in fellow corner infielder Danny Corona, who had hit a double to open the inning.
Jaxon Lucas took the win after going five innings and giving up one run on two hits.
Hofstra concluded their series at Liberty on Sunday, March 1. First pitch was set for 1 p.m.
