Wilmington, NC - UNCW swept a doubleheader from Hofstra Saturday at Brooks Field, rallying from a 3-0 deficit in game one and limiting the Pride to two hits, both by Vito Friscia, in a 5-3 win. In the nightcap, Ryan Jeffers knocked in four runs to back the starting pitching of Gage Herring in a 6-2 Seahawks win.

Hofstra fell to 10-6 on the season overall and 1-2 in CAA play. UNCW improved to 16-7 overall and 2-1 in league action.   

Hofstra jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first as Steven Foster drew a leadoff walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. After Friscia singled to put runners on the corners, Rob Weissheier hit a grounder to short that was misplayed allowing two runs to score and put Weissheier on third. Mikey Riesner followed with a sacrifice fly to put the Pride up by three.

The Seahawks got two runs back in the third on Mason Berne's two-run home run, his third homer of the series. The score would remain 3-2 until the bottom of the seventh when UNCW put up one run to tie the game. Two doubles and a hit batter loaded the bases and ended the day for Pride starter Teddy Cillis. Seamus Brazill came on and allowed a sacrifice fly, but escaped further damage.

UNCW scratched out a pair of runs in the eighth, as Cole Weiss had an RBI single and Jackson Meadows doubled in another run to give the Seahawks the 5-3 lead. Hofstra went three-up, three-down in the ninth against UNCW closer Clark Cota, who struck out the side for his seventh save. Justin Walke (2-0) earned the win in relief, striking out seven batters in 3 1/3 innings of work. Brazill (1-1) took the loss for Hofstra after allowing two runs on four hits in two innings.

In game two, Jeffers hit a two-run home run in the first inning to start the scoring for UNCW. Hofstra did not get a hit until the fifth inning when Rob Weissheier singled and Vinnie Costello doubled, but Herring got out of the jam by inducing a fly out to center.

UNCW put up four runs with two outs in the fifth behind a two-run double from Jeffers and a two-run home run from Berne. Hofstra avoided the shutout by scoring a pair of eighth-inning runs. Vito Friscia had an RBI groundout that scored Austin Gauthier, who doubled and went to third on a wild pitch. Hofstra scored its second run on a dropped fly ball that allowed Cillis to score from first.

Herring (1-0) allowed two hits in five scoreless innings and struck out four.

Matt Weissheier (1-3) took the loss after allowing six runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings.

Hofstra returns to action Wednesday at Monmouth.

Notes:
-Berne's home run was the first allowed by Cillis in 2018.
-Cillis took a no-decision, allowing three runs on six hits in 6-plus innings.
-Steven Foster extended his on-base streak to 12 games with two walks in game one, but saw it end in game two.
-Friscia extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the opener but was hitless in game two.
-Michael James pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief and has not allowed an earned run in 9 2/3 innings this season.
-Hofstra is now 11-38 all-time versus UNCW and 3-19 at Brooks Field.