Hofstra baseball fell to 4-11 on the season after a 16-7 loss to Troy University Sunday in Alabama. This was the final game of a four-game set between the two teams; Troy won the weekend by winning three of the four.
Brad Witkowski made his first career start on the mound for the Pride and struggled. He pitched 2.2 innings, giving up five hits and five runs (four earned) while receiving the loss. His Trojan counterpart was Houston Mabray. Mabray lasted 3.1 innings, giving up seven hits and seven runs – only one of which was earned.
Troy reliever Corey Childress improved to 1-2 after a stellar outing, going 4.1 innings without surrendering a hit or a run.
Just three innings into the game, Troy settled in with a 9-1 lead over the Pride. Three of the eight runs scored in the bottom half of the third were produced via walks. In the ensuing inning, the Pride answered right back with six runs of its own, cutting the deficit to 9-7.
It all began with Tom Archer reaching base due to an error by Troy’s third baseman Drew Frederic – which allowed Witkowski to score. Steven Foster followed with a RBI fielder’s choice and Mikey Riesner then hit a two-RBI single to score Foster and Archer. Teddy Cillis, who finished with two hits on the day, notched a single of his own, scoring Sean Rausch. To close the inning, Riesner was brought in courtesy of a wild pitch.
Following the fourth, it was a close game at 10-7 until the bottom of the seventh inning. Troy put the game away by scoring six runs in that half inning, ultimately sending the Trojans to their 16-7 victory.
Both Justin Friend of Troy and Riesner of Hofstra had some notable performances in this one. Friend went 2-for-5 with two runs and three runs batted in. Riesner went 2-for-4, scored one run and drove in three.
In relief for Hofstra, Gjon Ljucovic allowed his first earned runs in a Hofstra uniform. The junior transfer plated four runners (three earned) without recording an out.
Matt Weissheier followed with a short outing for the Pride, logging one out with a hit and a walk. Seamus Brazill, Kieran Ryan and John Ryan combined for seven runs given up in the final four innings of the game on seven hits, three walks and three hit batsmen.
Hofstra was scheduled for three home games this week and one game on the road, but all were postponed due to inclement weather. Next on tap is a rematch against NYIT Mar. 21 at 3:30 p.m.
