A three-RBI game for Matt Pelcher and an Alex McCoy home run could not push the Hofstra University baseball team over the Elon University Phoenix in a 16-7 loss on Friday, April 12.
Entering this Coastal Athletic Association series against Elon, Hofstra has yet to win a conference series this season. With the rest of their games slated for CAA play, every weekend for the Pride is crucial.
“Right now, the standings are all pretty much bunched up in the CAA,” said Hofstra outfielder Will Kennedy. “We got to do our job to earn our way into the playoffs. This weekend is going to be really big for us and winning the series this weekend would be huge to help us keep in the playoff mix moving forward through the regular season.”
With an 11-21 overall record and a 3-7 slate in the conference, the Pride sent out Michael O’Hanlon to put Hofstra ahead in the series. O’Hanlon has been the best pitcher for Hofstra this season with a 5.77 ERA.
The bats were hot for both teams in the first two innings. Elon’s third baseman Connor Offshack ripped a single to score the game’s first run. Behind him, Alex Duffey clobbered a double to center field, tallying two runs in the first inning for the Phoenix 2-0.
The Pride answered back with a Kennedy sac fly and one of Pelcher’s RBIs to tie the game at 2 heading into the bottom half of the second.
O’Hanlon did not have his best showing in this game. In the bottom of the second inning, with the game still tied at 2, O’Hanlon put some men on base, allowing Elon leadoff hitter Kenny Mallory Jr. to smash a three-run homer over the left field wall to take a 5-2 lead.
Giving up the home run proved to be the turning point in the game as the Pride could not stop the Phoenix from scoring at any point going forward. An RBI single from Elon’s Justin Szestowicki and a two RBI double by Mallory Jr. extended the lead for the Phoenix heading into the fourth inning, 8-2.
O’Hanlon allowed eight runs in 2.2 innings pitched with only two strikeouts. He received the loss for this game.
Mallory Jr. had himself a field day from the plate with four hits in five at-bats with six RBI’s.
Elon continued to rip the cover off the ball, scoring the bulk of their runs in the sixth inning against three Hofstra pitchers. The Phoenix broke the game wide open, capping their score at 16 runs off a Charlie Granatell groundout, 16-6.
In the eighth, McCoy hammered a solo homerun for his third of the season, now putting the game within nine runs. Elon closed out the game with Kolby Pascarelli on the mound in the final inning, securing a 16-7 victory.
For Elon, Sam Nomura received the win with his middle relief effort in the game. He came in for two innings, allowing no runs and one strikeout.
Dylan Palmer remained on the basepaths for Hofstra with three hits in five at-bats. Pelcher, McCoy and Steve Harrington also stayed behind with two hits apiece.
Hofstra entered the game on Saturday, April 13, with a must-win scenario if the Pride wanted to get their first CAA series win of the season. The first pitch from Elon, North Carolina, was at 4 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Katherine Martin
