The Pride couldn’t do the talking with their bats Sunday afternoon.
After scoring 20 runs combined in the last two games, Hofstra only managed to scrape together two runs and three hits in a 5-2 extra-inning loss to the University of Delaware (UDel) Blue Hens.
The Pride failed to complete the sweep of their Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) opponent.
Hofstra’s lineup failed to give enough run support to starting pitcher Teddy Cillis for the second straight time.
“I talked to Teddy [Cillis] afterward. I’m not there just yet, but I’d be willing just about to give up a body part for him to win,” said head coach John Russo.
“He has sold out for us for three years of his career.”
Cillis indeed has sold out for the Pride, and did the same this afternoon as he went seven innings, allowing just two runners to cross the plate.
The senior has a solid 2.91 earned run average, but not much to show for it in the win column as his record sits at two wins and five losses.
The Blue Hens had two pitchers carry the load on Sunday.Billy Sullivan IV and James Meeker split time on the mound with Sullivan throwing 4.2 innings and Meeker coming in to toss the last 5.1 innings.
The two runs allowed were both charged to Sullivan in the bottom of the fifth.
Austin Gauthier scored the first run on a wild pitch and Mikey Riesner singled in Steven Foster for the second and ultimately final run for the Pride.
Immediately after, in the top of the sixth inning, UDel’s Calvin Scott drove in Kyle Baker and Nick Patten to tie the game at two.
Neither team would score until the top of the 10th inning, when the Blue Hens plated three runs, thanks in major part to Erik Bowren, who laced a two-run double off of Chris Weiss into the left-center field gap.
Despite the loss, Hofstra would still pick up its first conference series victory of the year thanks to victories over Delaware on Friday and Saturday.
The Pride now stands at 4-5 in conference play, placing them fifth in the standings.
Delaware improved to 3-3, jumping Hofstra as the No. 4 team in the CAA.
Hofstra will travel to Fairfield University to face off against the Stags on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Fairfield holds an 11-16 record this season and is 5-4 in conference competition.
The Stags have been heating up, winning three consecutive games in a series sweep over Rider University this weekend.
In 2017, Hofstra lost to Fairfield in a 17-11 thriller at University Field, which accounted for 32 combined hits.
