by Tony Genualdo
The Hofstra University Pride defeated the Long Island University (LIU) Sharks 9-5 on Wednesday, March 11, at University Field in Hempstead.
Hofstra was looking to bounce back in their home opener after being swept last weekend by University of New Mexico Lobos. Despite scoring 34 runs in that series, they lost all three games in the bottom of the ninth inning. Meanwhile, LIU was doing the sweeping last weekend in their home opening series against the Saint Peter’s University Peacocks.
Giovanni Ciaccio got the afternoon started for the Sharks as he hit the first pitch from Steven Boscia over the left field wall to give LIU an early 1-0 lead. A Carlton Harper RBI double later in the inning added one more run.
Hofstra head coach John Russo pulled Boscia after just one inning – calling in Kyle Skidmore in the second to face the Sharks’ predominantly left-handed lineup.
“Seeing seven lefties is a little bit much,” Russo said. “Kyle is really effective on left-handers… so we really liked that matchup.”
Skidmore shut the Sharks down for five innings, only allowing four hits and one run while striking out seven.
Michael Andreoli got the start for LIU and pitched two scoreless innings. His third inning saw four consecutive walks, including one to walk in a run and cut the deficit in half.
In the fourth, Hofstra caught fire at the plate. A wild pitch thrown by Patrick Clyne scored the tying run and a Brian Goulard infield RBI single gave the Pride a 3-2 lead. Rob Weissheier reached on a single of his own to tack on another run and a 2-RBI double from Ryan Morash extended Hofstra’s lead to 6-2 by the end of the inning. Santino Rosso’s pinch-hit single in the fifth scored Kevin Bruggeman to give Hofstra a 7-2 lead.
The Sharks showed signs of light in the later innings. In the top of the sixth, Cooper Shearon hit a towering home run to left field to cut the deficit to four, but it was answered in the next half inning by the Pride as Goulard scored on an Anthony D’Onofrio stolen base. In the top of the eighth, Christopher Wasson’s RBI double once again made it a four-run ballgame. But Hofstra answered back when Goulard hit a solo shot to right field that just got over the wall to make it 9-4 Pride.
The Sharks had one more opportunity in the top of the ninth. Davyn Adamsheck hit an RBI single to cut the lead to four. But Jimmy Joyce closed it out for Hofstra and they come away with the victory in their home opener 9-5.
The Pride improve to 4-10 on the season while the Sharks fall to 5-7.
