HEMPSTEAD, NY – A big seventh inning helped the Hofstra Pride rally to beat North Carolina A&T 5-3 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) baseball at University Field Friday afternoon.
A&T produced only four hits, including a Tre Williams home run, to fall to 21-20 overall and 5-11 in CAA play. Hofstra received a three-run home run from Santino Rosso to help the Pride improve to 15-27 overall and 6-10 in league play.
After Hofstra right-handed starter Michael O'Hanlon (W, 4-3) pitched around a two-out double from Aggies senior Camden Jackson in the second inning, the Pride scored against A&T starting right-hander Coley Kilpatrick (L, 5-3).
Kilpatrick gave up a one-out walk to Will Kennedy in Hofstra's half of the second before Penn Sealey singled up the middle, advancing Kennedy to third. Kennedy's move to second proved vital as Matt Pelcher grounded out to second to score Kennedy for a 1-0 Pride lead. Kilpatrick exited the inning by getting Michael Florides to ground out.
O'Hanlon surrendered only one hit over the first four innings against A&T, but the Pride ran into some defensive troubles in the A&T fifth. Hofstra got the first two batters out on O'Hanlon strikeouts to start the frame. Junior infielder Enrique Wood kept the inning alive with an infield single before advancing to second on a throwing error.
Junior Chet Sikes reached on an error, allowing Wood to score to tie the game at 1-1. Kilpatrick remained steady for the Aggies on the mound. After giving up a leadoff single in the Hofstra fifth to Pelcher and seeing Pelcher advance to third on a sacrifice bunt and a passed ball, Kilpatrick got Dylan Palmer to ground out before striking out Luke Masiuk to end the inning.
Kilpatrick pitched around a two-out single before the Aggies took the lead in the visitor's seventh. Junior catcher Canyon Brown doubled to open the inning before senior outfielder TJ Ash moved him to third on a sac bunt. Brown scored on the next play as Jackson reached on an error. Jackson eventually moved to third, and Sikes walked to put the Aggies on the corners before freshman Ellis Reid lined out to third to end the frame.
The game took a dramatic turn in the seventh inning. Sealey's single and a sacrifice bunt moved him to second, setting the stage for Florides' RBI single that tied the game at 2-2. A single by Palmer led to a pitching change for the Aggies, bringing in senior RHP Connor Blantz. Blantz struck out Masiuk, but Rosso's three-run homer gave the Pride a 5-2 lead.
Blantz gave up a base hit and a walk before freshman LHP Stirling Thomas entered the game and walked Kennedy. Kennedy struck out Sealey to send the game into the eighth inning, where Williams homered to cut the Pride's lead to two.
In the ninth inning, Hofstra RHP Mike McKenna (S, 6) set the Aggies down in order to end the ballgame. The two teams will play Game 2 Saturday at 1 p.m.
