Despite a complete game by starter Mark Faello, the Hofstra baseball team was unable to get a win on a windy day at the UNC-Wilmington (UNCW) on Friday, April 8. The Seahawks defeated the Pride 3-1 in a tough luck loss for Hofstra in the series opener at Brooks Field.
The Pride is now 12-12 overall with a record of 4-3 against Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponents. UNCW is now 17-11 overall with a 2-2 CAA record.
Faello got the loss, giving him a 3-2 ledger for the season. R.J. Sales was credited with the win for UNCW, his fourth of the season, while Hunter Hodges got his third save of the season.
Hofstra struck early by scoring in the top of the second inning when Kevin Bruggeman scored on an infield single hit by Ryan Morash. Bruggeman hit a double to lead off the inning for the Pride, which extended his hitting streak to 12 straight games and brought his batting average to .329 for the season.
Hofstra held a 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fourth inning. UNCW tied the game when Dillon Lifrieri scored on a throwing error by Faello on an attempted pickoff. Ethan Baucom gave the Seahawks the lead with a two-run double that scored both Brooks Baldwin and Matt Suggs. That double proved to be the dagger, albeit a very early one, for Hofstra.
In his second complete outing of the year, Faello went eight innings, striking out nine UNCW hitters to set a new season-high. Strikeouts came in all but the bottom of the second for Faello. He held the Seahawks to three hits and only walked one batter in his complete game performance. He also set season lows in the hits and walks category. Faello has now pitched in 44 innings and has 29 strikeouts, with a career-low 2.86 earned run average so far this season.
The Pride finished the day with nine hits, four of them being doubles. Both Morash and Morrell had two hits in this game. The other five players with hits were Bruggeman, Flaherty, Santino Rosso, Steve Harrington and Anthony D’Onofrio. However, the Pride also left ten men on base.
Sales went six innings for UNCW, giving up an earned run on six hits, while equaling Faello’s strikeout total with nine. Ethan Chenault and Cole Benton each went an inning before Hodges closed the game out for the Seahawks, striking out the side to get the save. UNCW struck out 16 Hofstra hitters in total.
The Pride returns to action against UNCW at Brooks Field on Saturday, April 9. The game begins at 4 p.m. for the second game of the series.
Photo courtesy of Joe Browning/UNCW Athletics
