Hempstead, NY – In what began as a pitchers' duel for the first five innings turned into a slugfest as LIU Brooklyn posted a 9-6 victory over Hofstra Wednesday afternoon at University Field. The Blackbirds scored three runs in the ninth after Hofstra had tied it with three runs in the eighth.
Dom Paiotti's two-run home run in the ninth snapped the 6-6 tie and Edward Modica added a solo shot two batters later to give LIU Brooklyn the win
.
Hofstra (7-19) pitchers
John Rooney,
Matt Weissheier and
John Ryan held the Blackbirds hitless for the first five innings, while LIU Brooklyn starter Patrick Clyne allowed just one hit through five innings. But in the sixth, the Blackbirds broke through. An error and two singles resulted in the first run with Paiotti recording the first RBI. A double steal with runners on the corners brought home the second run.
LIU Brooklyn (9-11) took advantage of another Hofstra error in the seventh, scoring four unearned runs to take a 6-0 lead. Charlie Misiano had a two-run double in the inning.
The Pride cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning.
Nick Bottari led off with a home run, his second of the year, and
David Leiderman's triple drove in
Vito Friscia, who had walked, with the second run.
Teddy Cillis followed with an RBI single to make it 6-3.
Sean Rausch started a three-run eighth inning for Hofstra with a double. After a walk to Bottari, the pair executed a double steal and both runners would advance on a passed ball to make it a 6-4 game. Friscia followed with a single to score Bottari and
Steven Foster closed the scoring with a pinch-hit RBI single that allowed pinch-runner
Tyler White to score.
But the Blackbirds got to Hofstra's top reliever
Chris Weiss in the ninth. After a ground out to start the inning, Misiano walked and Paiotti followed with his second homer of the year. After a ground out, Modica hit his third of the season.
Mike Krieger (1-0), the fourth LIU Brooklyn pitcher, earned the win after 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Weiss (2-2) took the loss for the Pride, allowing three runs on two hits in the ninth.
Cillis finished with two hits for the Pride, while Bottari scored two runs.
Paiotti had three hits and three RBIs for LIU Brooklyn, while Misiano had two hits, two RBIs and three runs scored.
Hofstra opens a home Colonial Athletic Association series against Towson on Friday.
