By David Gibb
Following only a two-day period to rest and regroup after suffering a 3-game sweep at the hands of Colonial Athletic Association leader George Mason, Coach Anderson’s Pride took President’s Field in Old Westbury to face the New York Institute of Technology Bears. The Bears had previously mauled the Pride in a 12-4 affair on Hofstra’s University Field April 7th, so Coach Anderson’s team had not only victory but also revenge in mind.
Leadoff man Mark Stuckless opened the contest on a positive note with a single, but was later caught trying to steal second base. Both other Pride batters to face NYIT’s Andrew Guarrasi in the first inning struck out, resulting in an uncharacteristically uneventful start for Hofstra, who so often this season have struck it big in the very first inning of games.
New York Tech, on the other hand, established a lead early by scoring three runs before even making a single out. Third baseman Effrey Valdez slugged a two-run home run off Hofstra starter Rob Kumbatovic to cap the rally for the Bears, giving his own starter, Guarrasi, a cushion with which to work.
Guarrasi protected the three-run lead very effectively, keeping the Pride off the board until the fifth inning. First baseman Adam Perlo drove home the first two runs for Hofstra after Guarrasi finally cracked, wild pitching Chris Mentrasti and Scott Hagburg to second and third.
The Pride entered the eighth inning in desperate need of runs, having only those two to their name and facing a two-run deficit. After pitching so effectively for the first seven innings, NYIT’s Andrew Guarrasi finally seemed to tire, surrendering a double to Hagburg and a single to Perlo, giving Hofstra first and third with nobody out.
Leadoff man Mark Stuckless, whose foot speed frequently puts extra pressure on infield defenses, then proceeded to hit a ball to Tech shortstop Brian Smith who was unable to field the ball cleanly, registering no outs and allowing the catcher Hagburg to race home and pull the rallying Pride within one.
Perhaps shaken by the defensive miscue and the quickly shrinking lead, Guarrasi launched his second key wild pitch of the game, allowing Stuckless to go to third and Perlo to score the tying run. Senior second baseman Tom Legregni then singled, ending the rally by driving in Stuckless, who scored unearned due to the fielding error. The late-inning rally that the Pride had been looking for so long had seemingly arrived, as they went into the bottom of the eighth leading 5-4.
The Bears, behind for the first time in the game, responded by immediately loading the bases with nobody out against Hofstra reliever Jeff Guthridge. In the high-pressure situation, Guthridge did well to coax a 4-6-3 double-play grounder from Bears designated hitter Christian Dienna, but unfortunately for Guthridge and the Pride, a run scored on the back end of the play, tying the game for New York Tech. Tech catcher George Carroll grounded out to first to end the threat, but despite the best efforts of Guthridge and the Pride, the damage had been done and the game was tied going into the ninth.
In the top of the inning Hofstra was able to get the tying run on base, but the runner was doubled off first by NYIT right fielder Eric Cos after he caught Scott Hagburg’s fly ball and saw that the runner had strayed too far from the bag. With their chance to score snuffed out, the Pride were now looking at a game that was largely out of their hands considering the tremendous home field advantage inherent in baseball.
Looking to end the game with a quick walk off win, the Bears started their half of the ninth with a double by Cos, the same man who had spoiled Hofstra’s scoring chance with his outfield assist. Pinch hitter Steve McNamara then singled off Guthridge, driving home Cos and with him the winning run.
Now on an eight-game losing streak, the Pride will look to end the season strong starting with their upcoming four-game home stand. They will open the stretch with a three-game series against CAA rival Towson beginning Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM. Towson own a deceptive 7-8 conference record, but have a much more impressive 21-20 overall mark.