Hofstra lost their first series of the season after falling 11-1 against the University of the Incarnate World (UIW) in the finale of their four-game series on Sunday, Feb. 17. Sean Arnold, Ryan Flores and Antonio Valdez led the way for UIW with each driving in two runs.
The Pride came into the Sunday afternoon match up looking to split their first series of the season on the road after taking one of two games in a doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 16, but the team failed to score more than one run as the Cardinals would score at least 11 runs for the second day in a row.
The Cardinals got off to a quick start scoring two runs in the second after two leadoff singles from Taylor Smith and Valdez set up an RBI double from Flores. An Arnold sacrifice groundout would bring in Valdez.
Things would only get tougher for the Pride’s starting pitcher Jimmy Joyce. The sophomore’s day was over after 2 1/3 innings pitched, giving up five runs, three hits and walking three. Kyle Skidmore would come in to try and stop the bleeding, but the Cardinals’ offense could not be stopped as they would tack on another run in the third inning from a Flores sacrifice fly before scoring two more in each of the fourth and fifth innings.
Freshman reliever Mark Faello only allowed one run in two innings of work, and Mike Murray threw a scoreless eighth inning in his debut.
Kevin O’Connor scored the only run for the Pride after starting off the seventh inning with a pinch-hit single, before a sacrifice groundout and two wild pitches allowed the only run for Hofstra to cross the plate.
Austin Pollack would be the only player for the Pride with multiple hits in a game where the Pride had a season-high eight hits including seniors Vito Friscia and Matt Siedem and freshmen Sean Flaherty, Anthony D’Onofrio and Ryan Morash.
Aaron Celestino would pitch five shutout innings for Incarnate Word, getting the win while only giving up five hits and striking out five, before Johnny Foral and John Shull combined for four innings only allowing one run.
Sunday’s loss brings the Pride’s record to 1-3 and is the team’s second double-digit run loss of the new season. They have the next 12 days off before taking on the University Pittsburgh as a part of the Russmatt Central Florida Invitational on Friday, March 1.
Photo courtesy of Vashaun Newman
