Frankie DiMartino had a chance to be the hero and walk it off for the Hofstra University baseball team on Wednesday, April 19, as the Pride was tied at 10 with runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth against the Fairfield University Stags.
He went for a bunt on the first pitch he saw, but it didn’t go according to plan. The catcher threw Michael Florides, who attempted to steal third, out, leaving just one runner left in the inning.
Dylan Palmer, who leads the team in stolen bases, got the better of the Stags catcher and made it to third base himself. That gamble paid off because the pitcher was charged with a balk before he could set his stance, leading to the winning run for Hofstra.
“Crazy game, it was a sloppy game; they kept coming back and we kept answering the bill,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “At the end of the day, I’m happy we got the win.”
That win wasn’t exactly how Catalanotto drew it up in his game plan, though.
“The pitcher on the mound, he was really slow to the plate, so we thought if we could get that third baseman to come in thinking it was a bunt, both runners could go, and maybe we’d be able to get second and third with one out,” Catalanotto explained. “The third baseman didn’t move, and [Florides] at second base got a terrible jump. It didn’t work out, but luckily, we were able to win on that balk.”
While he was the final batter to get caught from the Hofstra lineup, Florides has proven to be a pivotal player for the team, going 4-5 on the day with two RBIs.
“He’s been amazing; his defense is never going to waiver, and I always say that if you get anything offensively from him, it’s just a bonus,” Catalanotto said. “He’s been carrying the team; every day he’s getting at least two hits. I’m happy for him because he’s a good kid, [and] he’s been working hard on his hitting.”
For the pitching side, Mark Faello started on the mound and went six innings, giving up seven hits and five runs, three of which were earned.
“I thought he was good,” Catalanotto said. “At times toward the end there he struggled a little bit, but I think he pitched alright.”
Mike McKenna came in relief for 1.2 innings, but in his time on the mound he gave up two hits and three runs, after which Zach Bailey was brought in. Although he was able to close out the eighth inning, Bailey ran into trouble in the ninth, giving up the tying two-run homer.
“McKenna had a great first inning and then kind of lost it and struggled,” Catalanotto said. “[Bailey] pitched well; he just hung that breaking ball. Other than that pitch, I thought he did well.”
The afternoon saw only two scoreless innings, meaning that every time one team scored a run, the other was ready to punch back.
“I think earlier in the year we were a little bit less aggressive; we were a little timid,” Catalanotto said, explaining why the scoring has been higher in recent games. “When we’re in hitting counts 1-0, 2-0, we’re doing some damage and we’re swinging at those pitches, whereas I feel like we were taking them earlier in the season.”
The mid-week matchup saw 14 hits on the 11 runs scored, including sophomore transfer Dominic Camera’s first collegiate hit with a single in the fourth inning.
With a 17-19 overall record and a seven-game win streak, the team will travel up to Boston, Massachusetts, for a Colonial Athletic Association series against the Northeastern University Huskies.
“Tough team, we have to play clean baseball,” Catalanotto said. “I’m not concerned about our offense because we put together good at-bats; I like what I’ve seen here the last week. We just have to throw strikes and make the plays in the field, and I think we’re going to be fine.”
Photo courtesy of Evan Bernstein/Hofstra Athletics
