The Hofstra University baseball team took another loss at the hands of the Liberty University Flames 9-4 on Saturday, Feb. 24. The Pride came off a win from the night before, but a big sixth inning for the Flames capped any hope for the Pride.
Despite the loss, Dylan Palmer continues to rake from the leadoff spot, extending his hit streak to 13, returning to last season. Palmer went 2-3 with a walk bringing his average to .609. Alex McCoy also had two hits in the game going 2-5 with an RBI. His average sits at .440.
Steven Kaenzig got his second start on the mound this season and improved. Kaenzig surrendered two runs off four hits in 5.0 innings of work. He got into some trouble in the later innings, but his first couple of times around the order went well.
The Liberty sent out Garrett Horn for his second start on the season. Horn dominated his outing with nine strikeouts and surrendered four hits and no runs through six innings. Both Kaenzig and Horn delivered a blow-for-blow until the sixth when the Flames unleashed their full potential.
With the bases loaded, Kaenzig walked Brayden Horton to grant Liberty the first chance to score, 1-0. At this point, Penn Sealey came in to relieve him. With the bases still loaded, Cam Foster shot a double toward the left-center gap, scoring three. Camden Troyer then roped a triple toward right center, scoring another run for a 5-0 score. Then leadoff hitter Kane Kepley closed the inning out with a three-run home run over Harrington’s head, blowing the doors wide open with an 8-0 lead after the sixth.
Hofstra did answer back with a Sean Lane solo home run, collecting his first of the year and putting a run on the board for the Pride for an 8-1 score.
In the eighth, McCoy put together a single to left field, scoring Santino Rosso and chipping away at Liberty’s lead. The Flames had another run in the bottom half off a sac fly from Kepley, but that capped their scoring for the night at 9-2. In a last-ditch effort, a pinch-hit two-run homerun for Luke Masiuk cut the lead down to five, but the Pride’s efforts fell short after Liberty pitcher Brandon Dahlman closed the game out 9-4.
Kaenzig was charged the loss and Horn picked up the win after his dominant performance. Hofstra had more hits over the Liberty with nine compared to their five, but the Flames took more opportunities with the fewer men they had on base.
With the rubber game set for 1 p.m., Hofstra will send out Carlos Martinez for his second start of the season while trying to win their first series.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Keith Lucas
