By David Gibb
The Hofstra baseball team opened their season last Friday, facing a tall order in the form of a four-game series against the Florida State Seminoles, the fifth-ranked team in the country, according to the Collegiate Baseball poll. Florida State feasted on Hofstra pitching and effectively stifled Pride bats to ultimately outscore Hofstra a combined 43-16 in the four games, with a 3-2 contest standing apart as the only close game.
The first moments of the season were indeed cause for optimism, as senior leadoff man Mark Stuckless opened his season with a double and later came around to score on a wild pitch by Florida Stateís Geoff Parker. In the first half-inning of their young season, the Pride began by taking a lead.
Only moments later, however, the game was back to all-square after Hofstra essentially handed Florida State the tying run. With one out, starter Brody Fontaine plunked Seminole second baseman Tommy Oravetz and gave up a single to left fielder Mike McGee, setting up a crucial passed ball by catcher Elliot Hagburg. The defensive miscue allowed the Seminoles to score an unearned run on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Jason Stidham and tie the game back up.
As quickly as they had lost the lead, however, the Pride regained it. With one out in the top of the second inning, senior first baseman Adam Perlo, junior outfielder John Kenny, and junior third baseman Matt Prokopowicz lead a rally that put Hofstra back on top 3-1.
Hofstra held the lead until the top of the fourth, when the Seminoles touched up Fontaine for four earned runs, ending his first outing of the season before he could finish the inning. The big inning seemed to be a bit of a gut punch for the Pride, who found themselves unable to score for the rest of the game and managed only two more hits, ultimately losing 9-3.
The losing continued in Saturday’s doubleheader, as the mighty Seminoles dismantled the Pride 21-7 in the first game of the day and 3-2 in the second. Hofstra’s Rob Kumbatovic posted a strong start in the second game, pitching a complete game while allowing only 3 runs and striking out 4. However, given their best chance to win, the Pride offense failed to capitalize, amassing 9 hits and 5 walks, but scoring only two runs.
The final game against Florida State began on Sunday at one o’clock in the afternoon and saw Seminole starter Mike McGee (the same player who figured in the scoring of the first game) pitch six incredibly effective innings, giving up no earned runs while allowing 5 hits and striking out 3. Hofstra’s Nick Panzarella, on the other hand, pitched only 3.1 innings, surrendering 10 hits and 6 earned runs. When all was said and done, the Seminoles had handily won the game 10-4.
This weekend, the Pride will attempt to get their first win on the road against the North Carolina State Wolfpack. Hofstra will play three games against NC State, and then will return to Hempstead to open the home schedule next week.