Tom Legregni broke a 4-4 tie in the eighth with an RBI single to give Hofstra a one run lead and Anthony Sarno followed with a three-run home run to right field to ensure the victory as the Pride defeated Stony Brook, 8-4, Wednesday afternoon. Matt Kougasian, who scored the go ahead run, scored three runs and Sarno had five RBI. The victory was Hofstra's second in a row as they improve to 10-19. Stony Brook drops to 10-11 with the loss.
Matt Kougasian worked a walk to lead off the eighth and was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Felix Adamkiewicz. Nick Panzarella singled sharply to left to advance Kougasian to third, setting the stage for Legregni and Sarno. Legregni roped a single up the middle to put Hofstra ahead and Sarno erased any hopes of a comeback with his first home run of the season. Anthony Gionesi came on to pitch a scoreless ninth to complete the game and preserve the victory.
Hofstra jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first when Mark Stuckless doubled home Dave Cole. Stony Brook came back to take the lead in the fourth inning with two runs. Chad Marshall came around to score when Jeremy Nowak singled to left center, tying the game and Nick Thode drove home the lead run with a sacrifice fly that plated Michael Stephan, making the score 2-1. The Pride came back to tie the contest at 2-2 in the bottom of the inning when Kougasian scored from second base on a throwing error.
The Seawolves retook the lead in the fifth on Nowak's second hit of the day, a double that scored Stephan for the second time in the game. Stony Brook could have scored more, but Hofstra executed a perfect relay from the outfield as Matt Prokopowicz relayed the throw home from Sarno to throw out Steven Mazzurco, who was trying to score from first, for the final out of the inning.
Hofstra came back with two runs in the sixth to take a 4-3 lead when Sarno drove home Kougasian and Nick Panzarella with a single to right but the Seawolves tied the game at 4-4 with a run in the seventh when Stephan plated Michael Tansey with a sacrifice fly to right. However, the Seawolves could not manage to score again and Hofstra earned the win powered by its four-run outburst in the eighth.
Brody Fontaine earned his second victory of the year, coming on in relief of Pride starter Scott A'Hara, pitching four innings and allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out two. Evan Stecko-Haley took the loss for Stony Brook.
Hofstra travels to Delaware this weekend for a three-game Colonial Athletic Association series. Game one is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Friday, April 4.
