The Hofstra University baseball team withstood a late-game rally to break a six-game losing streak on Wednesday, April 17, with an 8-6 victory over the Marist College Red Foxes. The Pride’s first win in 11 days boosted their record to 12-24 on the season, while Marist fell to 12-23.
The Pride’s offense showed some life on Wednesday after struggling mightily throughout their losing streak. Hofstra was held to two runs or less in four of their last six games, but they had no such issues in Poughkeepsie, scoring seven earned runs on nine hits, including three extra-base hits.
Tanner Sanderoff started as pitcher for the Pride and got the win, throwing three scoreless innings, allowing three runners on base and striking out another three. The freshman pitcher got the first win of his collegiate career in his eighth appearance this season.
The losing pitcher for the Red Foxes was starter Chris Ubner, who got the hook after throwing 60 pitches through three innings, giving up his only run on an error by third baseman Brady Steinert.
The middle innings are where Hofstra did most of their damage. Six runners crossed the plate in the fourth and fifth innings, eventually building a 7-1 lead for the Pride. In just his fourth career start, Joseph Mennella started the party by smacking a two-run homer to give the Pride a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. The freshman is starting to cement his spot in the lineup, as he has multiple extra-base hits in two straight games, including two home runs.
Hofstra’s Michael Florides contributed three RBIs as well, the grad student shortstop is starting to heat up after a brutal stretch of seven games where he only collected one hit. Florides went 3-5 in the Wednesday contest.
Marist’s bats did not go quietly though. Ethan Conrad hit his fifth home run in the year in the bottom of the fifth, the solo shot made it 7-2. Conrad got on base all five times he came to the plate on Wednesday going 3-3 with two RBIs, crossing the plate twice as well.
Center fielder Lewis Rodriguez and catcher Cole Casamento added two RBIs a piece in the later innings. Rodriguez brought home two runs in the bottom of the eighth to bring the tying run up for Marist. The Red Foxes eventually loaded the bases, but Danny Kelleher got the Pride out of the jam. Kelleher handed the ball off to Joseph Curreri in the ninth inning, and Curreri nailed down the save.
Next up for the Pride is a Coastal Athletic Association series against the Campbell University Camels, who they welcomed to Hempstead for a three-game series from Saturday, April 19, to Sunday, April 21.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni
