By Mark Walters

After dropping game one, 7-1, in Atlanta last Friday to conference foe Georgia State, the Pride took the remaining two games to win the series, Hofstra’s second conference series victory this year.

Friday, junior Nick Panzarella had the only Pride RBI as he hit home Anthony Sarno, who doubled and reached third when Felix Adamkiewicz put down a bunt.

The Panthers scored five runs in the sixth and added two more in the seventh to go up 7-1. Robinson Polanco was stellar for the home team as he allowed only three hits and a run. Rob Kumbatovic recorded the loss for Hofstra.

Game two saw the Pride rally in the ninth as the visitors scored five in the last frame to go up 7-6. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Hofstra was down 6-3. After senior outfielder Dave Cole scored to make it 6-4, and with Chris Mentrasti and Mark Stuckless on base, Matt Prokopowicz came up, representing the go-ahead run. He walked, and then a wild pitch helped Stuckless score.

That brought up catcher Elliot Hagburg, who hit a grounder past the shortstop. Georgia State’s leftfielder botched up on the play though, which allowed Prokopowicz to score in addition to Mentrasti. This put Hofstra up 7-6, which was the final score after Panzarella pitched a three-up, three-down ninth inning to close it out.

Game three featured four Hofstra home runs and a lot of scoring for both teams as the Pride wrapped up its trip down south with a 13-10 win Sunday afternoon.

Senior Matt Kougasian, junior Tom Legregni, and sophomores Matt Prokopowicz and John Kenny all went yard to lead the way for the Pride, which improved to 16-30 (5-19 CAA). The Panthers fell to 25-18 (8-12 CAA).

Brody Fontaine got his fifth win of the season, and Kougasian had three hits, four RBI and three runs while Prokopowicz was 4-for-5 with three runs and two RBI.

Hofstra will travel to Boston this weekend to face CAA opponent Northeastern in a three-game conference series.