Hofstra falls in close battle at FDU
The Hofstra University baseball team fell 3-2 on the road against Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU) on Wednesday, Apr. 10. This was the second time this season that the Pride faced the Knights, with the last game resulting in a 3-1 Hofstra win at University Field on Mar. 12.
With this loss, the Pride drops to 11-20 on their 2024 campaign. FDU is 13-17 with this win at Naimoli Complex in Teaneck, New Jersey.
It was a bullpen day for Frank Catalanotto’s team, as freshman Joseph Curreri was on the mound to start the contest. He went two innings, giving up two hits and an unearned run, but struck three FDU hitters out. Fellow freshman Ryan McLaughlin also struck out three hitters in two innings pitched. Tanner Sanderoff had two Ks, while Matt Haggerty, Danny Kelleher and Brian Hart each had a strikeout.
The Knights started the scoring in the bottom of the second inning against Curreri. After Jeremy Cheeseman of the Knights doubled and advanced to third base on a groundout, he scored on a fielder’s choice hit by Brelon Harden. Cheeseman scored on an error by Hofstra catcher Dom Camera.
With the Pride down 1-0 in the fifth inning, Camera redeemed himself by scoring the tying run. He reached on a throwing error by Knights shortstop Joan Sosa and then advanced to second and third bases on a single by Michael Brown and a sacrifice bunt by Dylan Palmer. However, it was Santino Rosso who brought Camera in on a sacrifice fly to tie the score at one.
FDU kept their composure and scored twice to take the lead back. With one out and the bases loaded, Hunter D’Amato walked in the first of two runs, scoring Nate Dudeck. The lead turned to two when Joey DiMotta grounded into a fielder’s choice, plating Sosa.
Despite it all, Hofstra didn’t go down that easy, as the 3-1 lead was turned to 3-2 when first-year transfer Luke Masiuk hammered his third four-bagger of the season, launching it to left-center field. It was his first home run since he hit one against his former team, Northeastern University, on March 24.
Luke Russo came in to close the game out for FDU, but after giving up a single to pinch-hitter Steve Harrington, he got two quick outs on a single by Brown that ended up seeing pinch-runner Mike Sweeney and on a fly out by Palmer to end the game.
Grad student Joey Kosowsky earned his third win of the season after going two innings, striking out one and giving up a run. Haggerty was given the loss, this being his third of the year. Russo finished with his second save of the season.
Cheeseman, FDU’s starting pitcher in this contest, finished with seven strikeouts throughout three innings in a very solid short outing.
Hofstra has now lost two straight contests and is now 19-12 all-time against the Knights. This marks the first time that the Pride has lost to the Knights since March 20, 2005, ending a five-game Hofstra win streak against FDU.
The Pride will return to Coastal Athletic Association play on the road at Elon University. The Phoenix enters this series 11-21 overall with a 1-8 CAA record, while the Pride is 3-6 in CAA play.
The first game at the Walter C. Latham Park is at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 12.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni
