The Hofstra baseball team earned their second straight victory and third of the season on Saturday, Feb. 29, defeating the University of Nevada, 7-2. The Pride swept the two-game series over the Wolf Pack and improved their season record to 3-7.

Sophomore starting pitcher Ryan Rue continued his early-season dominance by firing seven innings and allowing only one run with seven strikeouts. He earned his first win of the season and lowered his earned run average (ERA) to 2.37.

The Pride took a 1-0 lead in the second inning following a home run down the left field line by designated hitter (DH) Alex Sica. The blast was Sica’s first of the season as he went 2-of-4 on the day with two runs batted in (RBI).

With the score 2-1 in favor of Hofstra in the fifth inning, freshman third baseman Santino Rosso smacked his first career collegiate home run to extend the Pride’s lead to 3-1. Rosso has gotten off to a strong start this season and also went 2-of-4 on the day to improve his batting average to .276.

Hofstra’s bats continued to produce and put up four more runs in the eighth inning to bring their run total to seven on the day. Austin Gauthier kept his hot bat alive and ripped a double to left-center field that scored Kevin Bruggeman to go up 4-1. 

Later in the inning, Anthony D’Onofrio drove in Gauthier with a single and then crossed home plate along with Rosso one batter later after a double from Rob Weissheier. 

In the ninth, Brad Camarda made his first appearance in over a year following Tommy John surgery and pitched a scoreless frame to close out the victory. 

Hofstra’s offense delivered once again and now boast a strong team batting average of .280, which is second in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) behind James Madison University.

The win also wrapped up a solid weekend for the Pride, finishing 2-1 in their three games played.

Hofstra will travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico on Friday, March 6, to take on the University of New Mexico Lobos to begin a three-game series.

Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics