Hofstra busts out the broom against Monmouth
The bats continued to stay hot for the Hofstra University baseball team completing a much-needed sweep, 19-2, over the Monmouth University Hawks on Sunday, May 7. The offensive onslaught carried the team to 19 runs on 21 hits, setting a record for hits and runs in a single game and putting their record at .500. With a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) record of 23-23 and 13-13 in conference play, this is the first time Hofstra has been at or above .500 so far in the season.
On the other side of the ball, Tristan Nemjo dominated the Monmouth lineup allowing two runs off six hits with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings pitched. Along with the offense, pitching for the Pride soared after a no-hitter from Brad Camarda in game one and a one-hit game performance from Mark Faello in game two. The Hawks only mustered two runs off Hofstra with a sacrifice fly from Will Trochiano and an Austin Dellinger single to right field.
On the other hand, Hofstra buried the Hawks quickly behind Steve Harrington with his double through the right-center field gap, opening the game in a clutch performance. Harrington collected six hits in seven at-bats, securing five RBIs in the process.
Ryan Morash also displayed excellence from the batter’s box with five additional RBIs on three hits.
With a 4-0 lead in the fifth, Hofstra fully separated themselves from the Hawks with an Anthony D’Onofrio double laced to left field scoring two and a Zach Bailey single down the right field line as the offense continued to explode with the bats. With a 7-0 lead, the Pride effectively pushed out starting pitcher Drew Helmstetter out of the game with the loss after that seventh run.
The Hawks proceeded to go to five relief pitchers in the game with no answer in sight for the Hofstra offense.
In the ninth, the Pride topped off an already 13-2 lead with some added insurance starting off a Frankie DiMartino double, added with a Dom Camera single and another double from the red-hot Harrington to add up to 19 runs on the day. Camera’s single went down in the books as his first collegiate RBI as part of the late-inning surge.
Michael O’Hanlon came in to close out an already lifeless Monmouth team, putting the series to bed with the brooms out for a 19-2 win over the Hawks.
With the Hawks being the last CAA road trip of the season for the Pride, their playoff hopes continue to hang in the balance. Hofstra has seven games left and is currently in seventh place in the CAA standings.
The Pride’s next challenge will be going up against the University of Connecticut Huskies on Wednesday, May 10, with the first pitch set for 6 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Rob Cuni/Hofstra Athletics
