Hempstead, NY - Hofstra banged out 17 hits, including four
from Danny Poma and three from Kevin Flynn, and scored in all but two innings
as the Pride rolled to a 12-4 win over Albany Wednesday afternoon.
Hofstra, which won its third straight game, improves to
14-12 on the year. Albany drops to 6-19-1.
John Schilt (2-1) went five innings, allowing five hits and
no runs with three strikeouts to earn the victory. Joey Moore (0-1) took the
loss for Albany after allowing four hits and three runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Jared Hammer, who had two hits and four RBIs for the Pride,
got the ball rolling in the first as he had an RBI single that scored Matt Ford
for a 1-0 lead. Kenny Jackson then extended his hitting streak to nine games
with a double to left center to make it 2-0.
The Pride added a run in the second on a Matt Reistetter
single and another in the third on an error. Hofstra would get three in the
fourth on a two-run double from Hammer and a RBI single from Jackson to 7-0.
The Pride would make it 9-0 in the fifth as Taylor Stuart led off with a triple
and Poma followed with a long home run to right center. Following a scoreless
sixth, Hofstra once again put three on the board in the seventh. Stuart scored
on a wild pitch, Hammer drove in a run on a ground ball that resulted in an
error and T.J. Thomas singled sharply up the middle to close out the scoring.
The Great Danes were held scoreless until the eighth when
they scored twice. Two hit batters and a walk loaded the bases and Josh
Nethaway doubled in two. But Pride reliever Gregg Lettini struck out the last
two batters of the inning to escape further damage. Albany would strike for two
more runs in the ninth. Jeff Welsh had an RBI single and Pete DiResta added a
sacrifice fly.
Poma, the Division I leader in doubles, finished 4-for-4
with a double, a home run, two walks, two RBIs and three runs scored. Flynn was
3-for-3 with a pair of doubles. Stuart, Ford and Jackson all had two hits as
well as the first five batters in the Hofstra order (Stuart, Poma, Flynn,
Hammer, Jackson) combined to go 12-for-24 with eight RBIs and 10 runs scored.
Gordon Madej led Albany with three hits, while Nethaway had
two hits.
The teams combined to use 14 pitchers in the game, seven for
each side.
Hofstra returns to action this Friday when it opens a
three-game series against CAA rival Georgia State. First pitch is set for 3
p.m.
