It should’ve been a double header sweep, but the Hofstra Pride salvaged a split with La Salle on Monday thanks to a heroic performance by redshirt freshman Luke Napolitano – as he went 4-for-5 with 7 RBI in a 14-5 victory in the night cap to improve to 4-2 on the young season.
Game 1
The Pride could not have gotten out to a quicker 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The red-hot Austin Gauthier led off with a solo shot to right field. In the third inning, it was Gauthier again who ripped an RBI double to score Kevin Bruggeman and open up a 2-0 lead.
Jimmy Joyce was on the mound and he retired the first 7 batters of the game – including striking out the side in the second inning. He allowed his first base runner on a single by Connor Coolahan but he was erased attempting to steal second.
Both teams exchanged goose eggs in the fourth inning, and the Pride extended their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Who else would get things started than Austin Gauthier? He led off with a triple and scored on an RBI ground out by Rob Weissheier.
Joyce worked in-and-out of trouble in the bottom of the fifth when he allowed two hits – including another one to Coolahan – but escaped on a fielder’s choice. In the bottom of the sixth, Joyce allowed a leadoff single to Tatem Levins but an inning ending double play thwarted any threat.
With the Pride seemingly in complete control, they even added two more insurance runs in the top of the seventh. A leadoff single by Kevin Bruggeman was followed by a walk to Gauthier. A wild pitch advanced them both and Bruggeman scored on an RBI single by Ryan Morash. Brian Goulard hit a sac fly to extend the lead to 5-0.
The game completely flipped on its head in the bottom of the seventh.
Sal Monticciolo led things off with a single to right. Nick Di Vietro also singled to move the runner to second. A strikeout was the first out of the inning, but a walk to Coolahan loaded the bases. Tommy Toal flew out for the second out of the inning. CF Jack Cucinotta got La Salle on the board with an RBI single to left field to make it 5-1. The big blow came by the next batter, Tatem Levins who delivered the bases-clearing double to make it 5-4 and knock Joyce from the game. He was relieved by Chris Mott who promptly allowed a walk and a go-ahead triple to Ryan Guckin – who was previously 0-for-3 – to make it 6-5 in favor of La Salle.
After going down 1-2-3 in the eighth, the Pride threatened to score in the 9th. Gauthier did what he does, and that’s hit a leadoff double to get the tying run in scoring position. Ryan Morash grounded out and Anthony D’Onofrio struck out, but Rob Weissheier walked to bring up Brian Goulard. The big lefty grounded back to the mound to end the game, 6-5.
Game 2
The nightcap was a completely different ballgame as Hofstra never took their foot off the gas pedal.
They got out to an early 3-0 lead on a bases clearing triple by Luke Napolitano (Kellenberg 2019) in the second inning to score Nick Marrero, Will Kennedy and Brian Goulard. They added two more on an RBI single by Ryan Morash to open up a 5-0 lead.
La Salle scraped back on an RBI single in the second, and a solo shot and sac fly in the third to make it 5-3.
That was as close as they’d get though. The Pride broke it open in the fourth on a bases loaded HBP of Rob Weissheier, a two-run single by Brian Goulard and an error by the catcher that scored Goulard and opened up a 9-3 lead. They piled on when Napolitano added two separate two-run hits to break the game open, 14-5, and that’s how this would end. He finished two RBI short of the school record.
Ryan Rue labored through five innings, but recorded the win. He allowed 4 ER on seven hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Steven Boscia (2 IP), James Cardinale (0.2) and Steven Kaenzig (1.1) provided the relief.
The Pride improve to 4-2 on the season and will be back in action this weekend in Philadelphia with a three-game set against Villanova.
