The Hofstra Pride played a doubleheader against the Manhattan College Jaspers and the Merrimack College Warriors on Friday, March 18. The Pride took game one against Manhattan, 3-1, but lost to Merrimack 10-0 in game two.

“Our hitters aren’t hitting,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “It would be nice to score seven or eight runs in a game, and that’s not happening. We’re trying to find who deserves to be in the lineup, and that’s why I’m switching it up all the time before conference play, and unfortunately I’m still not sure.” 

Aljo Sujak was credited with the win in game one, his first of the season. The red-hot Mike McKenna got his second save of the year. The loss was credited to Justin Solimine.  

The Pride got the scoring started in the bottom of the fourth inning, as sophomore Steve Harrington hit his third home run of the season. The solo shot made the score 1-0.

The Jaspers tied the game in the top of the seventh inning on an unearned run. After a two-out wild pitch, Jake Lynch advanced to second. Sujak came out of the bullpen, and then, before he even threw a pitch, the umpires called him for a balk. Lynch scored on a passed ball by Sujak to tie things up.

The tied score didn’t last for long, as Kevin Bruggeman played hero and hit a two-run home run on a 3-2 count from Ryan Crehan. That four-bagger was Bruggeman’s second of the season. Bruggeman went 3-4 in the first game.

“It was nice to see Bruggeman hit that home run, I mean, that was a game winner,” Catalanotto said. “And to see Harrington hit the home run was nice.”

Mark Faello, the starter in game one for Hofstra, went 6.2 innings, striking out two, walking four and giving up no earned runs.

That game ended up being Hofstra’s lone win in this doubleheader, as the Pride was blown out by Merrimack in its second outing.

Tristan Nemjo started off nicely, pitching four solid innings for the Pride until the top of the fifth. In that inning, the Warriors loaded the bases on a walk and two singles, before a grand slam by Michael Golankiewicz cleared the bases to give them a 4-0 lead.

Merrimack struck with three more runs in the top of the sixth on a bases-load walk and a two-run single. The Warriors added two more runs in the seventh and one in the eighth.

Nemjo was credited with his second loss of the season, while Merrimack starter Wyatt Villela got his first win of the season.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics