With the game tied, 5-5, in the eighth inning, Matt Browning doubled home McKinnon Langston for the go-ahead and deciding run as James Madison defeated Hofstra, 7-5, Sunday afternoon at University Field. Matt Prokopowicz homered for Hofstra and Elliot Hagburg contributed two RBI, but it was not enough to defeat James Madison. With the victory, the Dukes complete a three-game Colonial Athletic Association sweep of Hofstra and improve to 19-7 (12-3 CAA) while the Pride fall to 8-19 (0-12 CAA).
James Madison took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Brett Sellers hit a homerun to left field, driving in himself and Joe Lake, who singled to reach first base.
Hofstra answered back with three runs in the third to take the lead. Nick Panzarella drew a walk to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a groundout by Dion Pouncil. Tom Legregni reached on an error and advanced to second on the play, forcing Panzarella to third. Mark Stuckless drove Panzarella home with a groundout to cut the lead to 2-1. Prokopowicz put the Pride ahead, 3-2, when he turned on a pitch down in the zone and sent it over the right field fence for his second homerun of the season.
The lead was short lived however, as the Dukes scored two runs in the fifth to regain the lead, 4-3. Alex Foltz singled home Matt Browning with two outs to tie the score. Then, after a single by Joe Lake advanced Foltz to second, Sellers drove home his third run of the game with a single to right that plated Foltz and gave the Dukes the lead. Sellers came through again in the seventh, driving home Mike Fabiaschi with a sacrifice fly to center to increase the lead to 5-3.
Hofstra bounced back in the bottom half of the inning and tied the game at 5-5. With two outs, Tom Legregni reached base on an infield single and advanced to second when Stuckless worked a walk. The two runners advanced on a double steal to put runners on second and third for Prokopowicz, who was walked to load the bases. Hagburg tied the game for the Pride, taking the first pitch he saw and sending it up the middle for a two-RBI single.
Langston was hit by a pitch to start the eighth for the Dukes and came around to score on Browning's double to put James Madison ahead for good. Browning came around to score when Brett Garner followed with a single to center to increase the lead, 7-5.
Trevor Knight picked up the victory for James Madison, pitching 2.1 innings and striking out three while allowing no runs. Kurt Houck started for the Dukes, working 6.2 innings, striking out nine and allowing five runs, two of which were earned. Brody Fontaine took the loss in relief of Pride starter Rob Kumbatovic who pitched seven innings.
Hofstra returns to action on Tuesday, April 1 when the Pride travel to Saint Peter's for a non-conference match-up. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m.
