The Hofstra University baseball team split the Coastal Athletic Association opener with the Northeastern Huskies in Friday’s doubleheader, with a 3-2 win in game one and 13-9 loss in game two.
“We’re happy to get that first one,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “I thought [Michael] O’Hanlon and [Mike] McKenna pitched great, that was a well-played game. Game two is a game we should’ve won but we didn’t, and we did not deserve to win. But we’ll bounce back and be ready on Sunday to try and take the series.”
Hofstra came into the CAA opener with a 6-13 record while the Huskies are contenders for the league title, currently ranking in the top of the CAA standings.
The Pride sent out O’Hanlon in game one against Jake Gigliotti of the Huskies. Northeastern’s Tyler McGregor slapped a two-run home run into center field for a 2-0 lead over Hofstra. In the bottom half with runners on, Luke Masiuk shot a double off the top of the left field wall, scoring two runs and tying the game, 2-2.
With Masiuk on second, Matt Pelcher sent a sac fly to right field, advancing Masiuk to third and scoring Steve Harrington with the throw to the plate not making it in time.
After letting up that home run, O’Hanlon locked in and gave his best outing as a starter for the Pride this season. O’Hanlon dominated a fiery Huskies lineup, going 6.0 innings, allowing two runs off six hits while picking up four strikeouts.
“He does what he always does,” Catalanotto said. “He throws first pitch, strikes and gets ahead of hitters; once he’s ahead, that slider and splitter are tough pitches for these guys to hit. He’s a bulldog on the mound, he wants the ball but I’m also happy that McKenna came in after and gave us those three innings.”
In a surprising early exit, Catalanotto gave the ball to McKenna to close the game out from the seventh on. Mckenna dominated, finishing the game having allowed no runs and only two hits with five strikeouts as he put down the save for his third of the season as Hofstra won game one, 3-2.
Game two started the same for both teams, with the Huskies getting out in front in the first. A bases-loaded hit on a pitch from starter Steven Kaenzig brought in the first run for Northeastern, 1-0. In the bottom half, the Pride answered with an Alex McCoy bomb over the right field wall, tying the game.
Michael Florides doubled off the right-field wall scoring two runs. Pelcher had a rough day behind the plate, letting a couple of runs score off wild pitches and passed balls. Because of this, Northeastern tied the game at 3-3.
With a secure 6-4 lead in the sixth, Hofstra started to buckle as the game waned. Carlos Martinez relieved Kaenzig and held the anchor down for the Pride with a dominant outing.
“I thought his mentality was good,” Catalanotto said. “He looked tougher and ready to go. Maybe it’s a role that fits him better and for the most part, his presence on the mound looked pretty good.”
Martinez finished his day with six strikeouts while giving up two runs off one hit, a stark difference from his outings in the starting rotation.
Danny Kelleher came in and dropped the ball as Northeastern turned the momentum, scoring three runs off three singles to take an 8-6 lead. After that, the Huskies’ lead never wavered as Northeastern amounted 13 runs and the bullpen continued to collapse for Hofstra.
In the seventh, Santino Rosso hit a base-clearing double as Hofstra inched their way closer in an eventual 13-9 game. The Huskies, who also made many pitching changes, held the Pride down and at bay in the ninth with a series-split win.
In the loss, Dylan Palmer and Harrington both had multi-hit games with four and three hits, respectively. Rosso had three RBIs while Florides and Sean Lane contributed with two each.
Hofstra and Northeastern played the rubber game on Sunday, March 24, as they finished their CAA opening series at noon.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco
