Tom Archer led Hofstra baseball to a 10-8 victory over James Madison University Sunday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Archer had a career-high five hits and a two-run single in the top of the ninth that snapped an 8-8 tie.
Archer went 5-for-6 on the day with a stolen base in the 16-hit game from the Pride offense. Teddy Cillis went 4-for-6, including a home run, and Vito Friscia added two home runs of his own, going 2-for-4.
The Pride hit a season-high four home runs during the game.
The Dukes struck first in a back-and-forth game, scoring three runs in the first two innings with a sacrifice fly in the first to make it 1-0. In the second, a double and sacrifice fly brought in two more runs to give the Dukes a 3-0 lead.
The Pride responded by scoring three runs of its own in the third all by way of long balls from Cillis and Friscia to tie the game at three.
Hofstra added two more runs in the fourth after Cillis singled through the right-hand side, scoring Tyler White and Brad Witkowski.
The Dukes gained a run back with a home run, but Friscia answered with his second home run of the day, giving Hofstra a 6-4 lead.
A two-run homer and a fielder’s choice by James Madison let the Dukes pull ahead and lead 7-6 in the fifth, but a bases loaded walk to Rob Weissheier in the sixth tied the game again and White’s first career home run put the Pride back ahead 8-7 in the top of the seventh.
Again, the Dukes tied the game in the eighth when a based loaded wild pitch allowed the tying run to score.
In the top of the ninth, Parker Quinn led off the inning with a single and was replaced by Steven Foster on the base paths. Witkowski walked and an infield single from Cillis loaded the bases. Archer then laced a two-out single through the right side that scored the go ahead runs and made it 10-8 Pride.
With the tying run at the plate in the ninth after a two-out single, Chris Weiss coaxed a fly-out to end the game.
Weiss improved to 6-3 on the season with the win in 1.2 innings of relief.
Matt Weissheier started the game for the Pride and pitched two innings and gave up three runs, five hits and a walk. John Ryan also pitched two innings and gave up six hits and four runs. Seamus Brazill pitched 3.1 innings in which he allowed two hits and one run.
Friscia’s two home runs marked his first career multi-home run game and Archer’s five hits were a season-high for any Hofstra batter.
With the win, head coach John Russo moved into second place on Hofstra baseball’s all-time win list with 128 and the Pride now stands at 14-34 on the season and 7-14 in CAA play.
Hofstra returns to the field at home May 19 in a doubleheader against William & Mary starting at noon.
