Pride first baseman Mike Walsh (Norfolk, MA) was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 12th inning as Hofstra completed a three-game Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) series sweep of Old Dominion with an 8-7 victory over the Monarchs on Sunday afternoon at University Field. The Pride came from behind in each game to complete the sweep.

The win was Hofstra's fifth straight and improves its record to 24-29 overall and 10-14 in the CAA.  Old Dominion falls to 22-30 and 5-16 in conference play with its third straight loss.

The sweep was the Pride's first conference sweep since joining the CAA prior to the 2002 campaign and was their first overall since taking back-to-back doubleheaders from Hartford on March 31 and April 1, 2001.

Senior centerfielder Josh Stewart (Bloomsburg, PA-pictured) batted 3-for-6 with four runs scored on the day and now has 75 hits on the season, breaking the previous record of 73 set by junior third baseman Ricky Caputo (Miller Place, NY) in 2004.

Sophomore pitcher Jeff Denlea (Oyster Bay, NY) worked four innings of scoreless ball to earn his fourth victory of the season.  The win capped a remarkable week for Denlea as he notched three victories and his CAA-leading seventh save in Hofstra's 5-0 week.  In the weekend series against the Monarchs, Denlea worked a total of seven innings allowing just three hits and no runs.  He saved Friday's 17-14 victory, and earned the win in yesterday's 9-8 triumph.

Trailing 4-1 entering the bottom of the fifth, Hofstra began to mount its first rally of the contest.  Stewart laced a one-out double to left center, tying the single-season hits mark.  Following a single from shortstop Josh Stern (Millwood, NY) that advanced Stewart to third, freshman designated hitter Matt Kougasian (Rochelle Park, NJ) plated the Pride's second run of the game.  With two on and still only one out, Caputo came to the plate and hit a towering blast to straight-away center for his team-leading 12th round-tripper of the season for a 5-4 Hofstra lead.

The Pride would need one more comeback to complete the weekend sweep.  With Old Dominion leading 7-6 in the eighth, Stewart's record-breaking hit, a single up the middle, got Hofstra started.  Stern moved Stewart into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, and Kougasian came up big once again as he singled through the right side to tie the game.

Neither team would score over the next three innings, as Hofstra wasted leadoff singles in all three innings and in the process stranded 17 runners on the day.  The Pride was not to be denied though, as Stewart led-off the 12th with his third hit on the day, and Stern followed with his fifth hit of the contest.  After a pitching change and a strikeout, Caputo was intentionally walked to load the bases and Walsh was then plunked in the leg for the not-so-dramatic 8-7 extra inning victory.  Hofstra upped its extra innings mark to a perfect 4-0 this season, with all four games occurring in CAA play.

Kougasian finished the day with two hits, a run scored and two RBIs, while Walsh also chipped in with a pair of runs batted in.

Bryan Cipolla and Steve Harris led the Monarchs with three hits, with Harris hitting his first home run of the season.  Needham Jones took the loss, falling to 1-5 on the season, after allowing one run and four hits in three innings of work.

With its conference schedule completed, Hofstra now must wait until next weekend to see if it qualifies for the 2005 CAA Championship, which will be held May 25-30 at Brooks Field on the campus of UNC Wilmington.  The Pride is battling James Madison and William & Mary for the final spot in the tournament.

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