By PJ Potter – ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
The Hofstra baseball team traveled down to Virginia this past weekend to take on the College of William & Mary in the first conference series of the season in a three-game set, but Game 3 was not played due to heavy rain.
The Pride (5-18, 0-2) dropped both games, falling to the Tribe Friday 14-6 in Game 1 and 15-10 in Game 2 on Saturday.
Game 1
Despite roping four extra base hits in the first three innings, Hofstra was unable to hold the lead in the inaugural conference game of 2016.
Mat Annunziata started the scoring with a double in the left center field gap in the first inning.
The Tribe answered with back-to-back RBI doubles by Ryan Hall and Preseason CAA Player of the Year Charley Gould in the home half of the first. Gould finished 2-for-5.
Teddy Cillis lead off the inning for Hofstra in the second with a home run to tie it at 2, his third of the season. Cillis finished with two hits and two runs.
Brad Witkowksi, three batters later, navigated a double to score Kevin O’Connor.
William & Mary tallied a run in the second on a wild pitch by Alec Eisenberg.
It was a 3-3 contest headed to the bottom of the third inning when the Tribe exploded for four runs in the third and five more in the fourth.
William & Mary took a 4-3 lead after Charley Gould scored on a fielder’s choice, which would be the game-winning run.
The Tribe increased their lead with a RBI double down the left field line, a RBI single up the middle and a sacrifice fly, making it a 7-3 ballgame.
William & Mary blew the game wide open, however, in their next offensive frame, putting up a five-spot to give themselves a 12-3 lead.
Kyle Wrighte, who finished 3-for-5 with three runs batted and three runs scored, notched a two-run single followed by a three-run home run by leadoff hitter Charles Ameer. Ameer totaled four hits and four RBI in the game.
The Tribe tacked on two more runs in the fifth with a RBI single by second baseman Cullen Large, who then scored on a triple laced by Hunter Smith. Smith connected for four hits, including two for extra bases.
Hofstra tried to claw their way back in the top of the sixth inning. David Leiderman, who batted 3-for-5, crossed home on a single by freshman Nick Bottari, followed by a sacrifice fly by Witkowski to make it 14-5.
No more runs were scored until the ninth. Annunziata blasted another RBI double, his second of the game.
Hofstra’s Alec Eisenberg dropped to 1-5 this year after allowing seven runs (three earned) in 2.2 innings on nine hits and no walks. Eisenberg struck out two.
Andrew Mundy was first to relieve Eisenberg. Mundy surrendered seven runs, all earned, in 2.1 innings. The freshman fanned four batters and let up seven hits.
Chris Bonk and Zach Altieri tossed three combined shutout innings for the Pride, allowing just one hit.
For William & Mary, Dan Powers (3-1) received the win in six innings of work. Powers plated five Hofstra runners on ten hits, striking out two.
Michael Toner earned his first save of the year, going three innings without allowing an earned run.
Game 2
Hofstra’s three home run day was not enough to hold off the Tribe in the second game of the series.
Mat Annunziata lofted a towering three-run shot to left field in the first inning to give Hofstra a 3-0 lead early on.
William & Mary, however, inched their way back in the game. In the second inning, shortstop Kyle Wrighte singled home Cullen Large and Josh Smith flew out to center field, which sent Hunter Smith in to score.
Hofstra tried pulling away after a two-run inning by the Tribe with another Teddy Cillis home run, his second of the series and fourth of the season.
William & Mary’s bats came back to life in the home half of the third inning, scoring four runs to take the lead, 6-4.
Large smacked a two-run double to the right center gap to tie the game at 4. Hunter Smith brought home his first runner of the day with sacrifice fly to right field. Third baseman Tim Hoehn capped the inning with a RBI single.
The Pride regained the lead 7-6 in the top of the fourth, started off with Nick Bottari’s fourth home run of the season, a solo shot to left field.
Hofstra then took advantage of one of the Tribe’s four errors in the game, scoring two runs on a David Leiderman ground ball to the shortstop.
The Pride’s lead, however, would not be held in tact for much longer. William & Mary posted back-to-back four run innings in the sixth and seventh.
RBI singles from Ryan Hall and Charley Gould gave the Tribe the lead, 8-7. Hunter Smith, who finished with three hits and six runs batted in, rounded out the sixth inning with a two-run double down the left field line.
Then, in the seventh, Hofstra scored two runs on consecutive walks with the bases loaded, closing the Tribe’s lead to 1 with a 10-9 score.
Charley Gould poked his second RBI single of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Then, Hunter Smith came up to bat again. The freshman catcher ripped a bases clearing double off fellow New Jersey native Dave Jesch.
For Hofstra, Tom Archer walked in another run in the eighth inning.
Ryan Hall, who batted 3-for-4 with two RBI and two walks, finished the scoring with a base hit to bring home Wrighte for Tribe.
John Rooney fell to 1-3 in his freshman campaign, going two innings while allowing four runs. Chris Weiss was given the start for the Pride, giving up six runs (four earned) on six hits and five walks in 3.2 innings.
William & Mary’s Bodie Sheehan improved to 2-3 after surrendering two runs (one earned) in 3.1 innings with two strikeouts in relief.
Joseph Gaouette picked up his fifth save of the season, tossing a perfect four batter outing with two strikeouts.
For William & Mary’s offense, Charles Ameer went for 4-for-6 with two runs, going 8-for12 in the series with four RBI and four runs scored.
Hunter Smith smoked seven hits in nine at-bats, totaling seven runs batted in and three runs in the two game series.
Charley Gould batted 4-for-9 with three RBI, two walks and five runs.
For Hofstra, Mat Annunziata went 4-for-9 with five runs batted in and two runs scored.
Nick Bottari totaled four hits in seven at-bats to go along with two runs batted in.
The Pride returns to action Tuesday March 29 in Old Westbury, New York to take on New York Institute of Technology.
