Steve Harrington’s RBI game and Santino Rosso’s home run propelled the Hofstra University baseball team over the Liberty University Flames, going 12-6 for their first series win of the season on Sunday, Feb. 25.
The victory brings Hofstra’s record to 2-4 while the Flames now stand at 4-3.
Carlos Martinez got the nod for his second start of the season, compiling two runs off one hit and three strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work, to earn the win.
For the Flames, Bryce Dolby got the start but had trouble out the gate. Dolby surrendered five runs off six hits with only two strikeouts in 3.2 innings. In the first, Dolby couldn’t put the Pride away with Dylan Palmer at the leadoff spot.
With Palmer on base, Rosso advanced to second off a drop third strike, allowing Palmer to round home to bring the score to 1-0. Will Kennedy then singled to left, scoring Rosso and extending the lead 2-0. A Luke Masiuk sac fly ended the first with a 3-0 lead.
Rosso led off the third inning with a bang, à la home run, and subsequently a 4-0 lead. Three outs later, Palmer and Harrington singles to left field put Hofstra at a 7-0 lead with Trey Cooper relieving Dolby in the same inning.
The bottom half brought life to the Flames with a Cam Foster single and a Brian McClellin sac fly to get two runs on the board, 7-2.
Liberty continued to chip away at the score while Hofstra piled on a few more runs with Harrington’s three RBIs before the eighth. Back-to-back singles from Kane Kepley and Aidan Sweatt cut the lead down to six, 11-5.
For the last five outs, Mike McKenna came out and closed the game, where he let up one run score on three hits with four strikeouts. Hofstra nailed their final point in the ninth when a walk forced the run in during a bases-loaded situation, stamping their win at 12-6.
After another weekend of action in the books, the Pride have until Friday, March 1, when they head to the West Coast to face off against the University of New Mexico Lobos at 4 p.m. where Michael O’Hanlon will get his third start of the season.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Keith Lucas
