One game after John Rooney threw eight innings for the win, seven home runs, including six in the eighth inning, gave UNC Wilmington the series victory over Hofstra by a score of 20-7 Sunday. David Leiderman went 4-for-5 with two doubles and a RBI for the Pride, while Steven Foster, Chris Hardardt, Brad Witkowski and Vito Friscia each had two hits.
Hofstra starter Jorge Marrero threw 2.1 innings, giving up seven runs (five earned) and picking up the loss to drop his record to 1-6.
UNCW’s Zarion Sharpe picked up his third win, going 5.2 innings while giving up four runs on 11 hits and striking out six.
The Pride’s bullpen walked eight batters (one hit by pitch) and gave up 12 earned runs in what was the highest scoring game by a Hofstra opponent this season.
“I’m not happy with how we pitched. We just got to play better baseball. We make mistakes and it’s been the recipe for disaster,” said Hofstra head coach John Russo.
The first inning saw three up and three down for both teams, perhaps showing the signs of a pitcher’s duel. The following eight innings would prove otherwise.
The Seahawks scored five runs in the second inning, including a three-run home run by Riley Zayicek, his first of two on the day. UNCW would add on three more runs in the third and one in the fourth.
Hofstra got on the board in the fourth inning thanks to a RBI single by Rob Weissheier, coming off a game where he went 2-for-4, including his first collegiate home run.
Teddy Cillis hit a 2-run home run in the fifth for his fourth of the season. Friscia nearly hit one out, hitting the top of the left field wall and clearing the bases for a three-RBI double in the sixth. It looked like Hofstra was on its way to making another successful comeback victory this weekend,
But in the eighth inning, UNCW tallied nine runs to make it nearly impossible for a comeback.
Ryan Jeffers, Riley Zayicek, Mason Berne and Robbie Thorburn hit back-to-back-to-back-to-back home runs. Nick Feight and Brian Mims also went back-to-back later in the inning to increase UNCW’s run total to 20.
Every UNCW starter got at least one hit in Sunday’s game. Nick Feight, the reigning CAA Player of the Year, went 3-for-6 with 4 RBI, including his tenth long ball of the season.
With the loss, Hofstra falls to 3-9 in CAA play (10-27 overall) while UNCW improves to 7-5 in CAA play (18-20 overall).
Hofstra’s next game will be Tuesday when they host Saint Peter’s University at 3:30 pm.