Hofstra baseball falls in final game to Delaware

The Hofstra University baseball team dropped the final series game against the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens 8-1 on Sunday, April 7. Hofstra has yet to win a Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series this season, currently 3-6 after facing three in-conference schools.

There was no post-game press conference held.

The Blue Hens sent out Dom Velazquez for the start, but relief pitcher Tyler Strechay contributed most of the inning to the Pride’s eventual demise. Strechay pitched 6.2 innings, allowing only five hits but no runs while picking up five strikeouts en route to the win.

The Pride put men in scoring position in the second inning. On a wild pitch, Will Kennedy scored the Pride’s only run of the afternoon for a 1-0 score. After that, Hofstra left 11 men on base throughout the game.

Delaware answered in the third off a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch followed by Andrew Amato's single for a 3-1 lead. In the fifth, Joey Loynd sent a two-run shot over the left field wall for a 5-1 score.

In the late innings, Delaware continued to pound the ball, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the seventh and two singles in the eighth to cap their scoring at eight runs. At that point, Ethan Shaub came in to close the game for the Blue Hens, setting the Pride down and winning the series.

Delaware is now 15-14 overall and 5-4 against CAA opponents while Hofstra continues to drop in CAA play.

Two of Hofstra’s players had multi-hit games: Steve Harrington batted 3-4 from the plate and Penn Sealey slugged two hits in three at-bats.

As for the pitching, however, Steven Kaenzig’s trouble continues as he received the loss for his efforts this game. He is 0-5 this season and has compiled a 9.79 ERA.

Midway through the season, Hofstra's chance to make a run is fading. The remainder of their schedule is mostly against CAA opponents.

In this upcoming week, Hofstra has a one-game slate against the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights on Wednesday, April 10, at 3 p.m. Their next CAA series is slated against the Elon University Phoenix on the road. Elon has struggled this season and is currently on a four-game losing streak. For the Pride, the opportunity will be there for them to take their first CAA series of the year.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni