Hofstra Handles Long Island, 12-2

(Box Score)

4/3/07 -- The Long Island University baseball team suffered a 12-2 defeat at the hands of Hofstra at a chilly LIU Field. Senior Marcus Wynn (Plainfield, N.J.) went 3-for-3 with a stolen base in the loss.

Freshman Paul Lopez (New York, N.Y.) made his first collegiate start and pitched well out of the gate, but ran into trouble in the fifth inning as the Pride took a 2-1 lead. Lopez, who retired the first 11 batters he faced, issued a one-out walk before Hofstra catcher George Carroll reached on an error by third baseman Gerard Tingos (Staten Island, N.Y.) and put runners on first and third. After a wild pitch moved Carroll to second, shortstop Tom Legregni doubled in both runners. Lopez got a pair of groundouts to get out of the inning.

The wheels came off for Lopez in the sixth as he allowed a leadoff double and followed that up with a walk. After a double steal, Hofstra leftfielder Tony Schmitt hit a grounder to shortstop Greg DeSantis (Bridgewater, N.J.) who tried to get the runner at third but the throw was not in time, allowing a run to score. Lopez walked the next hitter to load the bases, but that would be the last batter he faced.

Sophomore Kenny Cedel (Staten Island, N.Y.) came on in relief and his first pitch was greeted with a run-scoring single by Andrew Campana. After getting the next hitter to strike out, Cedel allowed a two-run single to Legregni to put the Pride up 6-1.

The Blackbirds (5-13) made it 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth when senior Orlando Cruz (White Plains, N.Y.) hit a sacrifice fly to score classmate Robbie Rowen (Rosendale, N.Y.). Hofstra (11-16) tacked on five runs in the seventh and another in the eighth to close out the game.

Lopez (0-1) pitched five-plus innings, allowing six runs (five earned) on three hits and three walks. He struck out four. Eric Corkery (1-0) picked up the win for Hofstra, pitching 5 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs on five hits without issuing a walk.

The Blackbirds will open Northeast Conference play with the first of four games against Wagner on Thursday, April 5. Long Island hosts the Seahawks at 2:00 p.m.