Mike Sweeney’s first home run as a member of the Hofstra University baseball team was not enough to get past the Towson University Tigers in a 10-5 loss on Friday, March 30.
In their second Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) season series, Hofstra came off two-weekday wins over Long Island University and Seton Hall University to put their record at 9-15. Towson came into the game with a 5-19 overall record this season.
The Pride sent out Michael O’Hanlon against Towson’s Andrew Luczak. The Tigers unraveled 13 hits in the game while Hofstra put six hits across. Both teams came out of the first two innings clean but in the third, Towson struck first.
Second baseman for the Tigers Bryce Frederick roped in a double past Will Kennedy at left field to put a runner on the board, 1-0. Frederick slashed the wood in the series opener, slugging 2-5 with two RBIs.
Townson’s first basemen Josh Janove kept the inning alive with a two-RBI single up the middle to center field extending the lead to 3-0. The middle innings copied the first half with no runs put across until the sixth when Alex McCoy flew one out to center field, bringing in a run on a sac fly to put Hofstra on the scoreboard.
In the bottom frame, Towson’s offense became unglued. Taye Robinson laced a double and leadoff hitter Cole Stefano lined a single, bringing in three more runs and extending the lead 6-1. Stefano also dazzled for the Tigers, hitting 3-5 with four RBIs.
Towson continued to push their offense, leading to Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto heading to the bullpen by bringing in Matt Haggerty. O’Hanlon finished the day allowing six runs over 6 innings pitched giving him the loss. Towson continued to hit off Haggerty as an Elijah Dickerson single topped their scoring at 10 runs in the seventh inning.
Down 10-2, Hofstra crept their way back in the game with Steve Harrington floating a single into the outfield to add another run on the board, 10-3. In the ninth, with one out and a runner on first, Sweeney sent an opposite-field two home run for his first as a Pride member. However, his home run did not give much momentum as Towson’s Jordan Luton closed the game.
Relief pitcher Justin Rebok got the win and is now 1-2 on the season. He delivered three innings of relief with three strikeouts and allowed two runs on one hit.
No Hofstra player had more than two hits in the game with Sweeney being the only player with two RBIs with his last-inning effort as a pinch hitter.
Hofstra and Towson started at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, for the second game of the series.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni
