By PJ Potter – ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
It was all tied up at 4 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning between the Hofstra baseball team and the Monmouth Hawks in a mid-week game at University Field.
Adam Heidenfelder was on the mound for the Pride, looking to hold Monmouth to a scoreless frame to give Hofstra’s offense the opportunity to score just one run in the bottom half of the inning to give them the victory.
Monmouth’s Shaine Hughes had other plans.
Hughes, Monmouth’s first baseman, notched a two-out single to right field, scoring Robbie Alessandrine to make it a 5-4 game. Alessandrine reached base on a double down the left field line.
Hofstra batters were unable to counter with a run in the home half of the ninth, losing their sixth consecutive game and falling to 5-16 this year. Monmouth improved to 8-11.
The loss also marks the sixth time this season Hofstra fell to their opponent by one run.
The scoring began early for both teams. The Hawks opened the game with a sacrifice fly by Hughes, which brought Grant Lamberton in to score after he lead off the inning with a double.
Freshman Vito Friscia answered back in the bottom of the first, a two-run home run over the left field wall, his first round-tripper of his college career.
Friscia entered the game without recording an extra base hit this season.
Both offenses were held to no runs until the fifth inning. Monmouth caught a break when the ball bounced off Friscia’s shin guard behind home plate and rolled to the first base dugout, allowing Sean Arnott to score all the way from second base.
Once again, the Pride put up two runs after Monmouth’s one-run innings. Ryan Karl roped a line drive to right field, which sent Tommy Archer home to regian the lead 3-2.
Friscia muscled another hit for extra bases, this time a double to right center field, making it a 4-2 game in the Pride’s favor.
Cary Jacobson blasted a solo home run in the sixth for Monmouth, followed by another solo shot from Grant Lamberton, which tied the game at 4.
Adam Heidenfelder received the loss for the Pride, falling to 0-3 this season.
Kyle Ajjan picked up his first win, pitching the seventh and eighth innings without allowing a run. Joe Molettiere earned his second save of the season.
For Hofstra, Teddy Cillis was given the start, the first of his career. Cillis tossed three innings of one run ball, allowing two hits with four strikeouts.
Monmouth’s starter, Tyler Ksiazek, pitched 4.1 innings, surrendering all four runs without striking out a batter.
All seven of Hofstra’s hits came from the first four hitters in the lineup. First baseman Ryan Karl went 3-for-4 with one RBI and two runs scored.
Teddy Cillis batted 1-for-3, staying in the game as a designated hitter after being pulled from the mound.
Friscia totaled two hits, three runs batted in and one walk. Mat Annunziata finished 1-for-4.
For the Hawks, Lamberton was just a triple shy of the cycle, going 3-for-5 with two runs. Hughes went 2-for-3 with two RBI.
Jacobson, Chris Gaetano, Sean Arnott and Alessandrine each had one hit.
Hofstra returns to action Friday, March 25 in Virginia to begin their conference play at the College of William and Mary.
