Baseball takes one from Charleston Cougars
In the final game of the three-game set, the Hofstra Pride baseball team slugged their way to a one-run victory 5-4 on Easter Sunday against the College of Charleston Cougars.
The Pride gave the ball to Brad Camarda looking for at least one win in the series. Camarda did not disappoint working around the Cougar's lineup allowing 11 hits with only four runs across in 6.2 innings of work. Camarda’s record improved to 3-1 on the season.
On the offensive side, the bats of first baseman Zach Bailey and catcher Kevin Bruggeman cleaned their way through the Cougar's pitching with three hits apiece and four RBIs for Bailey in the win.
Cole Mathis took the loss after dominating on the offensive side in the previous two games. Although he allowed fewer hits, the Pride created opportunities to score with five runs on nine hits during his 4.2 innings pitched.
The action got underway at the top of the fourth when Anthony D’Onofrio singled to the pitcher and then stole second to put himself in scoring position with one out. Bailey belted a single into right field sending D’Onofrio home to score the first run of the game.
The Hofstra bats remained the same in the fifth quickly roping two singles to put men on the corners and threatening. A Santino Rosso walk loaded the bases for a Ryan Morash single to left field putting another run on the board, 2-0. With the bases still loaded, Bailey ripped a double just inside the foul line to the wall to clean the bases and extend the lead to 5-0.
Charleston joined in on the offensive fun in the bottom half of the fifth with three back-to-back singles from the Cougars put one run across in a 5-1 game. Cam Dean caught the Pride sleeping and stole home adding another run 5-2. A sacrifice fly from JT Marr scored Ben Hamacher, cutting their once 5-0 deficit to 5-3.
In the seventh, the Cougars tried to tie the game with a two-out rally on a Marr double and a Luke Wood single, scoring Marr for a 5-4 score. Charleston failed to put more aboard, ending the inning on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Trotter Harlan.
With a one-run lead in the ninth, Hofstra went to Michael O’Hanlon to close the game out. O’Hanlon quickly struck out Mathis for the first out. He then let up a single and a walk, putting two men on with one out. O’Hanlon bounced back with a turnaround strikeout of Trotter and a lineout to center field that was caught for the final out. Like that, O’Hanlon picked up his fifth save of the season.
This win propelled Hofstra to an 11-19 record and 6-9 in conference play. The Pride will see a quick turnaround with their next matchup at University Field against the St. John’s University Red Storm on Tuesday, April 11 at 3 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Dale Sparks
