Despite losing 10-9 in extra innings, the Hofstra baseball team played an exciting game to start off a four-game weekend series at the University of Delaware on Friday, April 16th. After the Pride scored two runs in the top of the tenth inning, Delaware responded with a three-run bottom half to win the game at Bob Hannah Stadium in Newark, DE.

Hofstra scored two runs in the top of the second inning on a double by designated hitter Alex Sica. Delaware responded right back by not only tying the game, but also adding two more runs to make the score 4-2.

That two-run lead didn’t last long for the Blue Hens, as Hofstra scored four runs in the top of third inning. The first run came off of a double by Rob Weissheier, the second run on an RBI single by Brian Goulard and the final two runs of the inning were driven in by a Santino Rosso double.

Goulard provided a sacrifice fly in the top of the fourth inning to make it a 7-4 Hofstra lead. These were Hofstra’s last runs until extra innings, as Delaware came back and tied the game.

The first two runs for Delaware came via an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth and a home run by first baseman Joseph Carpenter. The tying run came on an inside-the-park home run hit by Vinny Vaccone on a ball hit to right field that got past the diving Pride right fielder Will Kennedy. This made the score 7-7.

In the top of the tenth, the Pride took advantage of multiple pitching mistakes by Delaware’s Josh Venti, with Goulard scoring on a passed ball and Rosso scoring on a wild pitch, giving the Pride a 9-7 lead. Both runs were unearned.

The Blue Hens struck back however, scoring the first run on an RBI single by shortstop Vinny Vaccone and winning the game on a two-run single by Aidan Riley, the center fielder.

Venti was credited with the win, his first win of the season. John Mikolaicyk was handed the loss, after pitching two innings and giving up five hits and four runs. He is now 0-2.

With this loss, Hofstra now is one game under .500 with a 9-10 record overall and a 0-4 record in CAA play. Delaware is now 6-9 overall with this win, with a conference record of 2-3. Hofstra has now lost their last four games.

The Pride has a doubleheader against Delaware on Saturday, April 17th. The first game is at 1 p.m. and the second game begins at 4 p.m.

Photo Courtesy of Jacob Lewis/The Hofstra Chronicle