The Hofstra University baseball team fell 13-3 on the road to UNC-Wilmington (UNCW) on Friday, May 10. This was despite a three-hit performance from Dylan Palmer, his eighth three-hit game this season.
Hofstra is now 20-29 this season with a Coastal Athletic Association record of 10-12. UNCW, who leads the conference, is 34-16 overall and is 18-4 in CAA play.
The Seahawks went on the offensive right away in the bottom of the first. After Michael O’Hanlon got two outs for the Pride, Tanner Thach hit a single through the right side. With a man on first, Trevor Marsh stung a 1-0 pitch over the left field wall to put the home side up 2-0.
In the bottom of the second, UNCW added a third run. With two runners in scoring position, Kevin Jones hit a sacrifice fly in foul territory of right field that brought in the tagging John Newton.
The third inning was where things got out of control for Hofstra. After O’Hanlon induced a fly-out, Thach mashed the 0-2 offering up and out of the park to make it 0-4. Marsh followed that up with his second hit of the game, a single before the second home run of the inning was smoked by Alec DeMartino.
UNCW wasn’t done there. A fielding error at first base and a rogue pickoff attempt by O’Hanlon allowed two runners to move into scoring position. Jones brought in both runs for his second and third RBIs of the game.
Up 8-0 in the bottom of the fifth, Bryan Arendt took the Hofstra starting pitcher deep for the Seahawks’ fourth home run of the game. Despite that home run, O’Hanlon still struck out the side.
Hofstra finally got on the board at the top of the sixth. After Palmer hit a triple to center field, Santino Rosso hit a groundout to shortstop, which allowed the sophomore to score. The Pride doubled their run total when Will Kennedy lifted a double into left field, bringing home Steve Harrington.
UNCW answered with another run to make it an eight-run lead. Matt Haggerty, who had relieved O’Hanlon in the fourth, got two quick outs to start the bottom of the sixth. But Newton lined a double down the right field line, which was followed by an RBI double to left center field hit by Brock Wills. The Seahawks proceeded to make it 11-2 in the seventh, when Aiden Evans hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Jones.
The Pride got a third run in the top of the eighth thanks to a single by Luke Masiuk, but UNCW eventually put an end to Hofstra’s misery, scoring two more runs in the bottom of the eighth. The first came on a walk, and the second on a double play.
Jacob Shafer finished the game with the win, making him 4-5 on the campaign. O’Hanlon was awarded his fourth loss of 2024 after going 2.3 innings and striking out one hitter, giving up seven earned on eight runs.
Haggerty had a respectable outing, going three innings and striking out four Seahawks despite giving up two earned runs.
Shafer went seven innings for UNCW, striking out four and giving up two earned runs.
With five games left, the Pride is looking to get some huge wins over the weekend. They are currently battling the College of William & Mary for the final spot in the CAA tournament.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni
