Late-inning heroics have been the calling card for the Hofstra baseball team this season, and it has continued so far in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament. Although the role of the hero has been held by many of the Pride’s players throughout the season, in their 4-3 win over UNC-Wilmington (UNCW) on Thursday, the hero was one of the most unlikely.
With two out and a runner on third in the top of the tenth, Michael Florides, the number nine hitter in Hofstra’s order, stepped to the plate to face UNCW’s Hunter Hodges. All season long, the Pride have had several players produce game-winning hits in moments such as this. However, the glove-first shortstop who was at one point struggling to hit above the Mendoza line this year wasn’t one of them. In fact, Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto had pinch-hit for Florides late in games on several occasions throughout the season. When facing off against UNCW, Catalanotto opted to stick with Florides, and his confidence paid off. On a 1-1 pitch from Hodges, Florides punched a ground ball through the left side that scored Jake Liberatore from third base to reclaim the lead for Hofstra. It was his third hit of the game.
“It was a great at-bat,” Catalanotto said. “It was a really tough pitcher out there, and he was throwing a lot of sliders. But [Florides] has been really hot lately. He’s been swinging the bat a lot better. Luckily, he was able to put a good swing on the ball, and it found a hole.”
In the bottom half of the inning, Florides helped turn a 4-6-3 double play to seal the game for Hofstra. Closer Michael O’Hanlon was credited with the win, pitching 2.2 innings in relief a day after blowing a three-run lead against Elon University in Hofstra’s opening game of the tournament.
“We were a little concerned after what we saw yesterday,” Catalanotto said. “He looked like he wasn’t there physically or even mentally. We just told him, ‘Get out of your head. As long as you’re healthy, go out there and do your thing.’ I looked at him today and said, ‘We need you. Do you have this?’ He assured me that he was mentally in it and that he’d be able to pitch well for us.”
O’Hanlon entered in the eighth inning against UNCW after lefty Aljo Sujak allowed the Seahawks to cut Hofstra’s lead to 3-2. Upon entering, O’Hanlon gave up a four-pitch walk to the first batter he faced and then a sacrifice fly that tied the game, setting the table for Brooks Baldwin, the reigning CAA Player of The Year, to drive in the go-ahead run for UNCW with two down in the inning. In the matchup of two All-CAA first-team selections, O’Hanlon emerged victorious, thanks to Hofstra centerfielder Anthony D’Onofrio who raced in and dove to catch a sinking line drive off the bat of Baldwin to keep the score knotted at three.
“It was huge. D’Onofrio knows that if he doesn’t catch that, the game is over,” Catalanotto said. “It’s a tough catch, especially when it’s right in front of you. It wasn’t to his left or his right. It’s a tough catch, and he was able to make it. We’re very lucky that he did.”
As great as the ending was for Hofstra, the start they received from Mark Faello was equally so. The senior right-hander dominated UNCW in his start against them on April 8, striking out nine batters in eight innings of work. With that start in mind, Catalanotto sent Faello back out against the Seahawks looking for a similar performance on a much bigger stage.
“When I looked back and saw that Faello gave UNCW a tough time when he faced them earlier this year, I was excited for this start,” Catalanotto said. “He’s a really good matchup for us against them.”
Faello was stellar against UNCW once again, spotting his fastball while keeping them off balance with his slider and changeup. In total, Faello threw 109 pitches across seven innings, giving up seven hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts.
The win over UNCW keeps Hofstra undefeated thus far in the double-elimination tournament, and are now scheduled to face the defending conference champions in Northeastern University. The Huskies were voted to repeat as champions this year in the pre-season CAA coaches poll. In that same poll, Hofstra was unanimously voted to finish in last place and miss the tournament altogether.
The game between the Pride and Huskies was originally scheduled to be played at 7 pm on Friday but has been postponed until Saturday due to rain in the area of the tournament. The start time is yet to be determined. Whenever first pitch is, it’ll be thrown by John Mikolaicyk for the preseason longshots who now hold the home-field advantage for the rest of the CAA tournament.
Photo Courtesy of Adam Flash/The Hofstra Chronicle
