Two ninth inning home runs launched LIU Brooklyn to victory over the Hofstra baseball team 9-6 Wednesday afternoon in Hempstead.
Overcoming a 6-0 deficit, Hofstra was unable to grab a lead. Tied at 6-6 in the top of the ninth, Junior Dom Paiotti crushed a two-run shot to right field, giving the Blackbirds an 8-6 edge. Two batters later, Edward Modica gave LIU Brooklyn insurance with a solo home run to make it an eventual 9-6 final.
The blow of the game for the Pride came in the seventh inning – an error early in the inning that allowed LIU Brooklyn to capitalize and score four total for the frame.
“They took advantage of a couple mistakes that we made. I would’ve liked a different outcome,” head coach John Russo said.
John Rooney was given the start for the Pride. Bouncing back from a seven-run outing this weekend against St. John’s, Rooney tossed two shutout innings with no hits allowed. Matt Weissheier followed suit with two clean innings of his own.
No runs crossed home plate until the sixth inning when Paiotti singled in a run. Paiotti finished the ballgame with three hits, three RBI and one run.
Hofstra’s first run was a thunderous one – a solo home run over the left field fence off the bat of Nick Bottari, his second round-tripper of the season.
Later in the inning, third baseman David Leiderman smacked a RBI triple, and scored one batter later on a Teddy Cillis base hit. Cillis finished 2-for-3.
In the eighth, the Pride continued its rally in hopes of a comeback. RBI singles from Vito Friscia and Steven Foster, along with Sean Rausch scoring on a passed ball, knotted the game at 6-6.
Chris Weiss (2-2) received the loss for Hofstra. Allowing three earned runs in one inning, his scoreless inning streak came to an end at 20.
“Chris Weiss got what he deserved. He walked the leadoff guy on four pitches and he [threw] a fastball up to a kid that’s a good hitter; it left the yard. That’s what happens, that’s when you play Division I baseball. Chris has been really good, it was just a bad sequence,” Coach Russo said.
Mike Kreiger received the win for the Blackbirds, throwing 1.1 innings without a run surrendered. Patrick Clyne started for LIU Brooklyn and threw five frames. Clyne struck out three batters and gave up just one hit in that span.
LIU Brooklyn improved to 9-11 and Hofstra fell to 7-19.
Hofstra is next in action this weekend, returning to CAA play. They take on Towson in a three-game set at home beginning Friday at 3 p.m.
