Hofstra baseball drops a double-digit loss at Connecticut

On Wednesday, April 24, the Hofstra University baseball team lost to the University of Connecticut Huskies 14-3 on the road for a non-conference matchup. The Pride now holds a 14-27 record while the Huskies now improve to a 22-18 record.

Hofstra, which sits in fourth-to-last place in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) standings with a 5-10 conference record, has been struggling to maintain a lead, having lost seven of the last 10 games. Hofstra batters are able to give the team early leads, but inconsistent pitching plagues the team.

The Pride held an early lead in the top of the second inning. With two outs, catcher Dom Camera doubled on the first pitch he saw to drive left fielder Will Kennedy in for the first run of the game. Immediately after Camera’s RBI, second baseman Dylan Palmer singled to the right side of the field, driving in both Camera and shortstop Michael Florides.

Camera and Palmer’s only hits came from the team’s only runs scored by the Pride. Florides earned the most hits for the Pride in the game, going 2-3.

Hofstra starter Penn Sealey put up a 1-2-3 inning during the bottom of the first, but the Huskies’ second-inning offense picked apart Hofstra’s pitching staff. UConn scored 10 runs off of Sealey in the bottom of the second after he gave up a walk and a single. First baseman Steve Harrington earned one of the Pride’s two errors during the second inning, allowing two Connecticut batters to come home.

Overshadowed by a rough second inning, Hofstra’s defense had some bright moments. Harrington, Florides, Camera and right fielder Luke Masiuk each made three putouts for the Pride, with Florides also contributing to three of Hofstra’s seven assists.

After going two innings, Sealey remains winless for the Pride with an 0-4 record, putting his ERA at 11.03.

The Pride returns to conference play when they host North Carolina A&T State University, the team directly above them in CAA standings, for a three-game weekend series. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. for Friday, April 26, at University Field.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni