Friday afternoon’s doubleheader with the conference-leading University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW) Seahawks presented a roller coaster of emotions for the Hofstra Pride baseball team, as they split a pair of hard-fought contests under an ominous gray sky at University Field. After moving to 10-13 in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play following the split, Hofstra continues to remain within striking distance of the final spot in the CAA tournament with seven games remaining.
“It’s obviously great to get a split against such a high-quality team,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “However, in the second game, I thought we had a chance to win and got sloppy.”
What transpired in game one of Friday’s doubleheader can be adequately summarized in two simple words: Santino Rosso. After the Pride trailed by as many as seven runs at one point, the senior punctuated a rally for the ages with a walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth inning to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
In a dramatic performance reminiscent of last year’s CAA championship team, the Pride scored eight runs across the final four innings, including four in the ninth, to surmount an 8-1 deficit. Although Rosso’s late-inning heroics stole the show, Steve Harrington put forth a career day at the plate, going 4-4 to drive in four runs.
“I think it just clicked after that sixth inning,” Catalanotto said. “Our guys started getting comfortable at the plate.”
An unorthodox shift in the series’ schedule also gave way to a new hero for the Pride, as freshman righthanded pitcher Jake DesLauriers picked up his first collegiate win in dominant fashion. After the scheduling change shuffled up Hofstra’s bullpen, DesLauriers was called upon late in the game and rose to the occasion, hurling three scoreless innings and surrendering just one hit against a potent Seahawks lineup.
“[DesLauriers] gave us a chance to win that game; he was electric,” Catalanotto said. “For a young kid against a team like UNC Wilmington, it can be nerve-wracking, but he pitched great.”
Game two saw the Hofstra offense come back down to Earth a bit, as UNCW earned a 6-3 win to split the doubleheader in a convincing fashion. This time it was the Seahawks’ turn to send a freshman hero to the mound, as Connor Kane carved up the Pride, allowing one run on just two hits across five innings of work.
“In the second game, he kept us off balance,” Catalanotto said. “He ate a bunch of innings and did a heck of a job; sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap.”
Despite an unfavorable forecast, the series finale is set to be played at noon on Sunday afternoon at University Field. Following the conclusion of this weekend’s series, the Pride will travel south to New Jersey for another crucial conference series against the Monmouth University Hawks. The Pride currently sits one game back from the final playoff spot as we hit the home stretch of the season.
Photo courtesy of Rob Cuni/Hofstra Athletics
