The Hofstra University baseball team took a beating on Saturday, Feb. 17, in their second game against the No. 11 ranked University of Virginia Cavaliers, 21-3. Unlike game one which took place on Friday, Feb 16, game two brought on a different beast with Hofstra’s pitching already in question.
Compared to the first game, Virginia’s offense blossomed with 17 hits in the game while Hofstra rattled off nine.
Dylan Palmer had a two-hit game in five at-bats, a promising start as he continues to find success at the plate early in the season. Palmer got the Pride on the board first with a single shot. His speed on base created chaos on the field as he scored by stealing third off an error by the centerfielder to jump out 1-0. Matt Pelcher also had two hits and Michael Florides gathered two RBIs on the day.
Senior Steven Kaenzig got the start at the mound, his first of the season and was able to maintain a strong hold on the Cavaliers until the bottom of the third inning.
Virginia scored back-to-back home runs from Griff O’Ferrall and Luke Hanson, taking the lead 3-1. The hits continued as the Pride could not respond quickly enough to the ranked Virginia offense. Virginia kept the runs going, scoring five more to close the third with an 8-1 lead over the Pride.
Kaenzig left the game with only 2.2 innings of work, allowing eight runs off seven hits with only four strikeouts.
Hofstra sent out newcomer Tanner Sanderoff in the fourth inning but his welcome to the league came with a home run over the left-center wall from Henry Ford, increasing the gap to 9-1. Sanderoff only lasted the fourth after surrendering four more runs, as Ryan McLaughlin came in to try and save the game from more damage.
The fifth inning stayed the same for Virginia, scoring another three runs off collective singles and a double by O’Ferrall, Harrison Didawick and Bobby Whalen. McLaughlin also struggled giving up four runs on four hits, making the score 17-1.
Hofstra finally found some rhythm in the sixth inning with a Michael Florides double through the left-center gap scoring two, 17-3. But that closed out the Pride’s offense for the rest of the game.
Between the sixth and eighth innings, Hunter Russell came in and gave up another four runs on four hits, proving no Hofstra pitcher could find a groove. The Cavaliers continued to beat down the Pride, capping the score and the game at 21-3.
Hofstra’s offense fell silent after a solid hitting performance the day before and their pitching has given up 31 runs after only two games. Hofstra and Virginia will clash for the last game of the series as Carlos Martinez prepares to make his first start of the season tomorrow at 1 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Stephen Blue
