Hempstead, NY -- Senior shortstop Chris Mentrasti drilled the first grand slam of his career but Towson hit seven home runs in total as Hofstra dropped a 17-8 slugfest to the Tigers in a CAA contest Friday afternoon at University Field.
Junior John Kenny also lifted a two-run shot for the Pride in high-scoring contest that featured nine combined home runs and 30 base hits. Yet it wasn't enough as Hofstra lost its ninth game in a row and fell to 6-29 overall and 2-17 in conference play.
Kevin Collins went deep twice while Steve Yarsinsky also hit two of Towson's home runs, going 3-6 with 6 RBIs and two runs scored to help the Tigers improve to 23-20 overall and 8-8 against the CAA. Despite a 50-minute rain delay entering the bottom of the fifth, Tyler Austin came back out and picked up the win, going to 3-1 after allowing seven runs on six hits in five innings. Pride sophomore starter Kevin Rigopoulos dropped to 1-4, giving up six runs in an inning of work.
Towson jumped to an early lead with three first-inning home runs. With two outs and nobody on, Yarsinsky hit the game's first home run to left. Austin Harclerode then followed a single with a two-run homer. Chris Wychock took a pitch out to right for back-to-back homers, capping the four-run rally.
Hofstra responded immediately, getting all four runs back when Mentrasti took advantage of the bases-loaded, one-out situation with his second homer of the season and third of his career, sending a shot over the left-centerfield fence to knot the score.
The Tigers kept up the power barrage in the second. Yarsinsky added his second homer in as many innings, ripping a three-run shot. Harclerode also went deep for a second time, building the lead to 8-4.
Kenny helped Hofstra mount another rally in the bottom of the inning, hitting a two-run home run two batters after senior Mark Stuckless drove in a run via his sacrifice fly. That would be the closest the Pride would get. Towson collected three runs on four hits in the third against Hofstra reliever Nick Panzarella and added four runs in the seventh.
Panzarella pitched five innings. The senior-lefthander helped spare the bullpen with two more games against Towson upcoming this weekend.
The series' second game is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. Senior right-hander Bobby Neelon is Hofstra's probable starter.
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