Hofstra Pounds Out 17 Hits To Knock Off Northeastern, 12-9
Rob Washburn
WILMINGTON, N.C. (May 22, 2024) – Sixth-seeded Hofstra pounded out 17 hits and scored multiple runs in five different innings to knock off #3 Northeastern, 12-9, in Game 2 of the CAA Baseball Championship on Wednesday afternoon at UNCW’s Brooks Field.
The Pride (24-31) advances to play top-seeded Charleston at 3 p.m. on Thursday. Northeastern (38-16) will meet #5 William & Mary in an elimination game at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Four Hofstra players recorded at least three hits, led by catcher Matt Pelcher, who was 4-for-4 and drove in three. Dylan Palmer went 3-for-5 from the leadoff spot, Steve Harrington was 3-for-6 with a homer and three RBI’s and Alex McCoy was 3-for-6 and scored three times.
Northeastern was led offensively by outfielder Cam Maldonado, who was 3-for-4 with a pair of homers, three runs scored and three RBI’s. Mike Sirota was 2-for-3 and knocked in two as all nine Huskies’ starters contributed at least one hit.
The fireworks started early with both teams tallying twice in the first. In the top half, the Pride put two on with infield singles, and both came around to score following a Harrington base hit and a ground out. Northeastern responded in the bottom half with a two-run double by Jack Doyle.
The Huskies grabbed a 4-2 advantage in the second a Sirota drove in two with a single to center, but the Pride drew even in the third when Harrington launched a two-run homer to right-center.
Hofstra took advantage of two walks and two hit batters to add three runs in the top of the fifth and put three more on the board in the sixth as Penn Sealey contributed a two-RBI single.
Trailing 10-5, Northeastern battled back behind the bat of Maldonado, who smacked a solo homer in the sixth and followed with a two-run shot in the seventh that trimmed the deficit to 10-9.
Hofstra added some insurance runs in the eighth on a two-out RBI double from Pelcher followed by a Michael Florides run-scoring single.
Michael O’Hanlon (7-4) picked up the win for Hofstra after working the first 6.1 innings. Closer Mike McKenna recorded his program record 11
th save by throwing 2.1 scoreless frames.