The Hofstra Pride baseball team dropped their three-game series to the University of Delaware after a 19-9 loss on Sunday, March 12. The struggles continued as the long ball got the best of the Pride, as well as inconsistency from the pitching staff and the bullpen.
The Pride fell to 4-10 after yet another series loss, in a game they scored nine runs and still failed to come out with the win. Delaware was able to make noise early by scoring nine runs in the first three innings, as John Mikolaicyk’s day on the mound ended after only 2.1 innings of work. Mikolaicyk surrendered six runs, six hits and five walks during his outing, while only managing to strike out three batters for the Fightin’ Blue Hens.
Hofstra went with freshman pitcher, Carlos Martinez out of the bullpen to stop the bleeding, but Delaware had other ideas. Martinez’s day ended after allowing five runs, four hits and two walks while only striking out two, in two innings.
Hofstra managed to claw and fight their way back into the game before Delaware ran away with their lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. A sacrifice fly to right field by Brian Morrell got the Pride on the board in the top of the third inning. A double in the top of the fourth from Ryan Morash with one out started the rally for Hofstra. Dylan Palmer, the freshman utility man, then doubled to left center which scored Morash from third base.
The Pride started to open up the scoring floodgates in the top of the fifth inning, as they managed to get four runs across in the inning. Hits from Morrell, Steve Harrington, Santino Rosso, Anthony D’Onofrio and Palmer generated the runs for the inning, cutting the deficit to three as the score was 9-6.
Bret Lesher started the bottom of the fifth strong for Delaware, as he nailed a hit over the left field wall, to go ahead 10-6. Two more hits in the inning along with three walks from the Fightin’ Blue Hens extended their lead to 13-6.
Delaware finished the game with six home runs on 18 hits while reaching base on balls 13 times, more than one walk per inning surrendered by Hofstra. Wild pitches, errors and control continued to hurt the Pride as the team recorded three wild pitches and two errors, both of which came from Hofstra catcher, Kevin Bruggeman in the bottom of the second inning.
Nonetheless, the Pride put together an impressive performance on the diamond as they scored nine runs on 15 hits. Palmer finished his day at the plate going four for five with a run scored, two runs batted in, one walk and a stolen base.
Hofstra looks to bounce back and get back in the win column on Wednesday, March 15, at home against Manhattan College.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Adam Koszo
