After losing 18-1 to Rutgers University on Tuesday, the Pride put an 18-hole of their own on the board in the first of a three-game weekend series against The College of William & Mary on Friday, April 29, in Williamsburg, Virginia. Hofstra won 18-7 on the backs of Brian Morrell and Zack Bailey, as each went 4-5 in the game. Morrell also had two home runs in the game. With the win, the Pride improved their overall record to 19-17 and is now 10-6 against the rest of the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).
Hofstra ignited its offense for the day in the second inning with an RBI double by Ryan Morash that plated Bailey, who had reached base with a double of his own to give Hofstra a 1-0 lead.
The Pride put a five-spot on the Tribe in the top of the third inning. Morrell hit his first home run of the day, a three-run shot off of William & Mary starter Rojo Prairie, to right field in a 0-2 count. This gave the Pride a 4-0 lead that grew two batters later. Jake Liberatore hit a single up the middle, and then Kevin Bruggeman socked the Pride’s second home run of the inning, his sixth of the season, to left field on a 3-1 pitch to make it a 6-0 ball game.
William & Mary came back with a four-run bottom of the third, starting with an RBI single by Mark Trotta that scored Joe Delossantos. After another single by David Hogarth, Ben Williamson hit a three-run home run to put the Tribe within two, making it a 6-4 game.
A four-run fifth inning extended the Pride’s lead, as Bailey hit a bases-clearing double that scored three runs, making it a 9-4 game. Bailey then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Morash.
William & Mary responded with a run of their own in the fifth with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Cole Ragone.
An eleventh run was scored for the Pride in the top of the sixth, as Morrell hit his second home run of the game and his sixth of the season, tying the senior right fielder with Bruggeman and Steve Harrington for the team lead in home runs. The three combined have hit 18 of the team’s 29 home runs so far this year.
After the Tribe got their two final runs of the game in the bottom of the sixth, Hofstra put the cherry on top with a seven-run seventh inning.
All in all, Morash, Morrell and Bailey each had four hits, while Bruggeman had three and Liberatore had two. Liberatore also extended his on-base streak to 15 straight games, while Anthony D’Onofrio extended his on-base streak to 24 straight games and his hitting streak to eight straight games.
Mark Faello was credited with the win, his sixth of the season. He had a special day in this game, becoming the 24th pitcher in Hofstra program history to amass 100 career strikeouts, now having 103 total this year after striking out five William & Mary batters. Faello joins teammate Brad Camarda as both have now eclipsed the 100 career K club this season. The loss was given to Prarie, his third of the year.
The Pride returns to action on Saturday, April 30, and looks to round out the month with their fifth straight series win in CAA play. Game two begins at 2 p.m. from Williamsburg, Virginia.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
