The Hofstra University baseball team split their two-game set against No. 24 West Virginia University (WVU) Mountaineers Wednesday afternoon after the Pride got walked off in their 6-5 loss. With this, their record falls to 7-13 this season.
West Virginia was first on the scoreboard with an RBI single to score Dayne Leonard and Caleb McNeely in the bottom of the first. Hofstra’s Dylan Palmer landed an RBI single in the top of the third, scoring Nick Marrero and Zach Bailey.
Mountaineer Logan Sauve broke the tie in the fourth frame, allowing Landon Wallace to score and take a 3-2 lead. Ryan Morash’s single to right field in the fifth sent Michael Florides across home plate to tie the game at 3.
A tricky situation broke out for the Pride in the sixth inning. The bases were loaded, and a wild pitch allowed for Sauve to make the 90-yard dash successfully, bringing the lead back to West Virginia.
With one out in the inning, Hofstra’s left fielder Will Kennedy reached first base on a four-pitch walk to get the rally started. Kevin Bruggeman, the designated hitter for the Pride, mashed a go-ahead two-run home run to left field to take a 5-4 lead.
The Mountaineers nullified that home run within the bottom of the eighth on a sacrifice bunt to Hofstra reliever John Mikolaicyk, allowing JJ Wetherholt to score.
The stalemate continued into extra innings, where Hofstra failed to reach base in the top of the 10th. With two outs in the inning, WVU got their first base runner after a double down the left-field line by McNeely. Sam White hit a single to center field to bring in McNeely, getting the walk-off win.
Hofstra’s next appearance will be down south this weekend for a three-game series against Colonial Athletic Association opponent North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, NC, which kicks off Friday, March 24. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Dale Sparks
