Norfolk, VA ? Senior Tom Legregni lined three hits in his first three at-bats in game two, driving in two runs, but the Pride dropped an 11-6 decision in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday evening at Marty Miller Field. The Pride also lost the opener, 10-6, to fall to 7-32 on the season. Brandon Hairston went 4-4 with two RBIs and four runs scored in helping the Spartans move back to the .500 mark at 20-20.

Hofstra junior starter Rob Kumbatovic saw his record drop to 3-8 after allowing 11 runs in four innings of work. Fellow junior Dion Pouncil joined Legregni in registering a multi-hit game, going 2-3 with a RBI.

The Spartans built an  8-2 lead after three innings and after the Pride cut the deficit to 8-5, a three-run fifth gave Norfolk State additional breathing room to complete the sweep.

Hofstra built an early two-run lead and put the tying run on base in the eighth but fell short, 10-6, in the opener. Designated hitter Anthony Nelson went 2-5 with three of the Pride's seven stolen bases.

Nelson and senior Nick Panzarella lined back-to-back second-inning RBI singles off Spartans starter Quinn Bright, handing Hofstra the early 2-0 edge. Norfolk State responded in the inning's bottom half, with Chris Warren lifting Hofstra starter Bobby Neelon's offering over the right field wall to knot the score.

Juan Herrera chased Neelon, a senior righthander, from the game with a run-scoring single in the third. After a leadoff single and walk, Neelon (1-3) induced a flyout before Herrera's base hit to right made it 3-2 and prompted Hofstra to bring in sophomore reliever Anthony Gionesi. The righty minimized the damage, forcing two ground outs to keep the deficit at one run.

Norfolk State was able to extend its lead in the fourth as Brandon Hairston capitalized on a scoring opportunity, lifting a single to center to plate Warren and TiQuan Griffin to put the Spartans up, 5-2.

Junior third baseman Matt Prokopowicz helped Hofstra mount a comeback attempt in the fifth, notching his second hit of the game with a single to center that allowed Legregni to come home from second. Fellow senior Chris Mentrasti followed that up with a single to center to score Prokopowicz, making it a one-run game at 5-4.

The Spartans tacked on insurance runs in the sixth, forcing in a run via a hit batsman with the bases loaded.  Jermaine Berry followed a pop out with a two-run single. Those runs proved vital thanks to a wild play in the eighth inning as the Pride scored two runs on a walk in the frame. Panzarella drew a base on balls with the bases loaded, though the fourth ball came on a wild pitch and the catcher threw the ball away, allowing Nelson to score to make it 8-6 on Norfolk State's fifth error of the contest.

Reliever Ryan Shook came in and induced a double play. Two walks and a single loaded the bases for Prokopowicz, who bounced out to the pitcher to end the threat.

Hofstra will conclude the series against Norfolk State with a Mother's Day contest on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.

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