Hofstra takes game one in Battle of Long Island

The Hofstra University baseball team beat the Stony Brook University Seawolves 3-2 on Friday, May 3, for their fifth consecutive win.

The Pride improves to 19-27 overall and 9-10 in conference play while the Seawolves drop to 22-21 overall and 10-9 against Coastal Athletic Association opponents. Hofstra now sits in the seventh spot of CAA baseball standings while Stony Brook is two spots above the Pride.

Hofstra first baseman Steve Harrington kicked off the Pride’s scoring in the top of the fourth inning with a home run to right field with one out. The home run was Harrington’s fourth of the season and 20th of his career, making him the 12th player in Pride history to record 20 career home runs.

Later that inning, designated hitter Penn Sealey gave the Pride their second run as he drove right fielder Luke Masiuk home. In the top of the seventh inning, Hofstra second baseman Dylan Palmer hit a grounder, driving in catcher Matt Pelcher for the Pride’s third and final run of the game. 

Shortstop Michael Florides went 3-4 against Stony Brook, continuing the Pride’s on-base streak to 11. Left fielder Will Kennedy went 2-4, and Pelcher hit 2-3 with a hit by pitch in day one in Suffolk County.

Hofstra starter Michael O’Hanlon allowed four hits and one walk and made eight strikeouts over 114 pitches, shutting out the Seawolves in just 8 and one-third innings of work. During the top of the ninth inning, he gave up a single and double to Stony Brook left fielder Matt Brown-Eiring and third baseman Evan Fox respectively. Mike McKenna came into the game for the Pride after O’Hanlon’s back-to-back hits, giving up two runs on a sacrifice fly by Seawolf second baseman Johnny Pilla and an RBI single by shortstop Matt Miceli.

O’Hanlon earned the win, now holding a 5-3 pitching record this season while McKenna earned his eighth save of the season. Stony Brook pitcher Colin Rhein took the loss, holding a 3-3 record after giving up seven hits and all three of the Pride’s runs but making four strikeouts.

Hofstra’s series at Stony Brook still has two games left. The next matchup between the Pride and the Seawolves is Saturday, May 4, with first pitch at 1 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Joe Orovitz