The Pride, looking to add to their modest two conference wins, welcomed the Towson Tigers to University Field for a three-game series over the weekend. The Tigers were also on a quest in Hempstead, looking to get above .500 in the CAA, entering the three-game set with a 7-8 conference record.
Friday’s series opener did not get off to an auspicious start for Hofstra as starting pitcher Kevin Rigopoulos was lifted with nobody out in the second inning after surrendering 6 runs on 6 hits. Luckily, thanks to Chris Mentrasti’s first inning grand slam off Towson freshman starter Tyler Austin and center fielder John Kenny’s two-run shot in the second, the Pride offense kept the team in the game throughout the early innings.
Unfortunately, reliever Nick Panzarella could not put out the fire started by the Tigers, surrendering 9 runs in five innings of his own, but eating up precious outs that would surely be meaningful to the Pride and their pitching staff as the series wore on. The Tigers’ Austin allowed 7 earned runs and four walks in five innings, but thanks to his team’s ample offense, he still earned the win for Towson in the first game of the series, drawing the Tigers even at 8-8 in the CAA. Hofstra managed 8 runs on 10 hits in the game, usually impressive totals, but Towson rolled with 17 runs on 20 hits.
Saturday was the Pride’s first victorious day in nearly a month. By the time Towson scored their first run in the fifth inning, Hofstra had already blown the game open with 12 runs of their own. The Pride should have known things were finally going to go their way when standout leadoff man Mark Stuckless homered in the team’s first at bat of the game. The Pride added three more runs in the third with an RBI double by Chris Mentrasti and a two-RBI single by catcher Elliot Hagburg. Little did anybody know at the time that Hagburg was en route to a career-best day with 5 RBI, ultimately leading the Pride to a 16-7 romp.
Stuckless, Hagburg, and first baseman Adam Perlo led the charge for the Hofstra offense, each tallying three base hits apiece, and ultimately all but one Pride player would register a hit in the game. Showing tremendous patience, Hofstra batters walked seven times against only five strikeouts as a team.
Bobby Neelon (1-2) picked up his first win of the season for the Pride, surrendering four runs on six hits over six innings. Neelon actually pitched even better than those numbers indicate, as he gave up three of the four runs in his last inning of work. Neelon became the first Hofstra starter to register a victory since Rob Kumbatovic on April 12th when the team defeated the University of Delaware 5-4 on University Field.
Unfortunately after Saturday’s victory, the Pride were unable to start a winning streak, losing the rubber match of the series on Sunday afternoon by the lopsided score of 17-1, registering only 2 base hits, a single by Nick Panzarella and a double by Saturday’s hero, catcher Elliot Hagburg.
Despite the weekend’s two losses, the Hofstra Pride Baseball Team still did well to improve their Colonial Athletic Association record, raising their win total to three and their overall mark to 7-30.
Following their rainout this Tuesday, a game in which they would have played Long Island University, the baseball team will travel to Norfolk, VA to face the Spartans of Norfolk State in a three-game series. The Pride’s next and final home series will begin Friday the 15th on University Field at 3PM against the conference rival College of William and Mary. The final two games of the team’s 2009 season will be a double-header, taking place the 16th beginning at noon.