Hofstra baseball fell to 6-15 on the season with a 12-1 loss to the College of Charleston at the Ballpark at Patriots Point Saturday afternoon. The loss evened the CAA series at 1-1. The win ended a seven-game losing skid for the Cougars, who are now 9-14 this season.
Jorge Marrero started the game for the Pride and suffered his third loss of the season. Marrero went 3.1 innings and surrendered nine runs, five of which were earned.
A seven-run bottom of the third propelled the Cougars to victory. Four Cougars were walked in the inning, as well as a hit batter.
With runners on first and second, Marrero made a throwing error on a sacrifice bunt, allowing two runs to score to put the Cougars up 2-0. With one out, Marrero struggled to find the strike zone, walking two more batters to load the bases. Danny Wondrack then singled to left field to plate two runs. With two outs and the bases loaded, Dupree Hart doubled to right center to clear the bases and cap the scoring in the inning.
The Pride threatened in the top of the second, but was unable to convert. The team loaded the bases with one out after a single by Mikey Riesner and two walks, but Vinnie Costello grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Charleston added three more runs in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run homer by Erven Roper and a RBI single by Bradley Dixon. The final two runs came in the bottom of the eighth after the Cougars loaded the bases on walks. Hart hit a RBI single and Hofstra’s Matt Weissheier walked the next runner to force in the 12th and final run for the Cougars.
Hart ended the day with two hits and four RBI for the Cougars.
Hofstra attempted to battle back in the top of the ninth after Tom Archer doubled to left center to begin the inning. Freshman Sean Rausch singled up the middle with runners on first and third to drive in the Pride’s first and only run of the game, preventing the shutout.
The Pride used four pitchers in the game. They combined to surrender 12 walks, allowing the Cougars to score 12 runs (eight earned) on nine hits. Seamus Brazill had the best outing for the Pride, tossing 3.1 innings of no-run, no-hit baseball.
Freshman Jakob Frishmuth started the game for the Cougars and went 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing three walks and seven hits for the first win of his collegiate career.
Griffin McLarty came in and pitched relief for Charleston, striking out seven of the 11 batters he faced. He allowed the sole Hofstra run.
Pride senior Brad Witkowski recorded his third consecutive multi-hit game, recording two hits on the day.
Hofstra looks to close the series with a win Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m.