Hofstra baseball fell 5-3 to Elon University on Sunday in North Carolina to complete the Phoenix’s sweep over the Pride.
This is Hofstra’s fifth consecutive loss, bringing the team’s overall record to 14-14 and 4-8 in Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play.
Coming into the final contest of the series, Hofstra was only able to muster 10 combined hits in the opening two matchups.
The bats once more were unable to come alive, totaling six hits. Struggling to create rallies, the Pride had just one inning containing more than one hit.
Owen Lorenz stepped up huge for Elon out of the bullpen, tossing 3.2 shutout innings with five strikeouts and two hits scattered to earn him the win.
Hofstra’s offense sent the Phoenix starter to the dugout earlier than expected. However, Ryan Conroy, who stressed 99 pitches in just four frames, walked six Pride hitters with eight strikeouts.
Allowing just one run, Sean Byrnes was the first reliever of Conroy.
After Byrnes pegged Daniel Page and gave up a base hit to Matt Siedem, he handed the ball to Lorenz.
Trailing 4-1 in the sixth inning, Hofstra came roaring back with two straight RBI singles from Kevin O’Connor and Vito Friscia.
Both earned runs were given to Byrnes.
Teddy Cillis toed the rubber for Hofstra, falling to 0-3 this season. Cillis now has gone 15 consecutive appearances ending in a loss when given the decision.
His last win was May 7, 2016 against Northeastern University.
Cillis went six innings Sunday, striking out five with four runs allowed (two earned).
Though winless, the left-hander bolsters a 2.93 earned run average, holding opponents to a .218 average.
Chris Weiss relieved for the Pride, battling for two innings. He allowed one run with one strikeout, one walk and one hit.
On the offensive end, Steven Foster, following a three-hit performance on Saturday, went 1-4 with one walk.
Leading the team in batting average each of the past three seasons, Foster jumped his clip to .226.
Vinnie Costello added the other run batted in for Hofstra on a bases-loaded walk, his 10th RBI of the year.
Siedem ended the game 2-2 with two walks and two runs scored.
Zach Evers led the way for Elon, going 2-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Evers finished the series with four hits and three RBIs out of the leadoff spot.
Garrett Stonehouse, Matt Oldham and Josh Broughton contributed one hit each. Oldham crossed home twice and Stonehouse and Broughton scored once each.
Elon moves to third in the CAA with a 7-5 record, while Hofstra drops to seventh place at 4-8.
Hofstra plays a mid-week game Wednesday at home against St. John’s University before hosting the College of Charleston this weekend in a three-game set.
