Doubleheader sweep by Johnnies over Hofstra

Taking the field in New York for the first time this season, the Hofstra University baseball team stumbled in a doubleheader loss to the St. John’s University Red Storm 3-2 and 10-1.

Originally scheduled for a three-game weekend series, the weather put the Pride in position to play their second consecutive weekend doubleheader.

“I thought O’Hanlon pitched well,” said Hofstra head coach Frank Catalanotto. “His energy out there is great, and he bounces back well. He’s been able to [withstand] the load without any problems and made a couple of bad pitches in this game, but I think this game was progress for him.”

Michael O’Hanlon struggled out the gate in the first frame, letting up two singles and a walk, allowing St. John’s onto the board first 1-0. After that, he dialed in for the next couple of innings before Hofstra struck back in the top of the third. The Pride cashed in on a Dom Camera walk, Michael Brown single and Dylan Palmer fielder’s choice to tie the game at one apiece.

St. John’s broke the tie 2-1 lead with a Blake Mayberry home run to left field in the bottom of the fifth.

Still a 2-1 game by the seventh with a chance to take the lead, Hofstra loaded the bases, setting up Alex McCoy at the plate with only one out. McCoy swung and missed at three breaking balls, bringing Steve Harrington up to bat. His groundout left the bases loaded for the Pride.

“The guy was throwing a changeup and had a good changeup,” Catalanotto said. “It looked like McCoy was uncomfortable at the plate and he was looking for a fastball the entire time and sometimes [players] have to change their approach.”

Mayberry came up clutch again in the bottom half of the same inning with a double to add an insurance run for St. John’s, 3-1. Hofstra tried again as Penn Sealey made a pinch-hit sac fly into centerfield bringing them within one 3-2.

Going the longest he’s ever gone, 103 pitches and seven innings, O’Hanlon finished, having allowed three runs on nine hits with six strikeouts in seven innings of work. Reliever Danny Kelleher came in to finish out the game, but the Pride felt like business wasn’t completed.

“I felt that we left a lot out there,” Catalatnotto said. “There were times where we had runners on and less than two out, I was disappointed with those at-bats. In those times we just needed contact.”

St. John’s starting pitcher Xavier Kolhosser got the win in 6.1 innings of work allowing one run on six hits.

In the second game, St. John’s outhit Hofstra 10-5. The Red Storm got out early with a 2-0 lead after the second inning and unraveled three more runs in the fifth on errors contributed by the Pride 5-1.

Steven Kaenzig remains winless so far this season, pitching 5.0 innings and allowing six runs on seven hits. Russell Hunter relieved Kaenzig in the sixth.

Sean Lane’s single in the top of the fifth scored a run for the Pride’s only offensive output of the game.

St. John’s three pitchers Evan Chaffee, Louis Marinaro and Tim Cunningham shut down Hofstra’s offense while the Red Storm tacked on five more runs in the late innings, 10-1. The Pride remained hopeless and finished the game swept.

With a 4-6 record, Hofstra had the Sunday, March 10, matchup as one final chance against St. John’s with first pitch set for noon.

Photo courtesy of Tim March