History was made for the Hofstra University baseball team on Friday, May 5, as Brad Camarda threw the third no-hitter game in program history, leading the Pride to a 7-1 win over the Monmouth University Hawks. Hofstra moves to 21-23 overall and 11-13 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play. The Hawks drop to 15-23 overall with a CAA record of 5-15. Monmouth still leads the all-time series between the two schools, 10-5-1.
Camarda picked up his fifth win of the season with the no-hitter, striking out eight Hawks, walking two and giving up one unearned run. Monmouth’s Dante Ciaramella took his fourth loss of 2023 after giving up seven earned runs in five innings, striking out four and walking three.
Kevin Bruggeman loaded the bases with a double in the first inning with one out, extending his hit streak to eight games. Designated hitter Nick Marrero gave the Pride a 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Santino Rosso. Hofstra added two more runs when Ryan Morash hit a 1-2 pitch to right center field for an RBI double that drove in Bruggeman and Steve Harrington.
Up 3-0 in the top of the third inning, Morash hit a triple to center field to make the score 5-0 Hofstra.
The Pride did the last of their damage in the top of the fourth inning, starting with Bruggeman’s single to left center field that scored Dylan Palmer. It reached 7-0 during Harrington’s third at-bat as Ciaramella balked to bring Rosso in to score.
Monmouth’s only run started when Austin Denlinger reached first base on a fielding error by Morash at third base. Denlinger advanced to second base on a wild pitch and then to third on a groundout. James Harmstead brought the run in on a sacrifice fly to left field, putting the home team on the board.
That run was the last threat Monmouth created until the bottom of the ninth inning. Camarda had four straight 1-2-3 innings, getting half of his eight strikeouts during that stretch.
In the bottom of the ninth, pitching from a 1-2 count, Camarda caused Nick Czarnecki to whiff for the first out and strikeout number eight on the day. In another 1-2 count, Camarda threw a fastball up high that was popped up by Eric Sabato and caught by Morash for out number two.
After Denlinger reached on a fielding error and Stahl walked, Camarda dealt an 0-1 fastball that was popped up. Three Hofstra fielders were chasing after it, but it was Anthony D’Onofrio in left field who caught it to put Camarda in the Hofstra history books.
As soon as D’Onofrio caught the final out, Bruggeman gave Camarda a massive bear hug before his teammates came out of the dugout to mob him.
Other than Camarda, strong performances were seen from Bruggeman, Morash and Palmer.
With this performance, Camarda joins Seamus Brazill and John Rooney as the only Hofstra pitchers to throw a no-hitter. Camarda also joins Brazill as one of only two pitchers to throw a solo no-hitter.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
