HOFSTRA HANDS DUKES 7-4 CAA BASEBALL SETBACK

Saturday, April 22

Hempstead, N.Y.

TBA

James Madison University

26-17, 0

Hofstra

17-24-1, 0

James Madison

Hofstra

4/22/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y., April 22, 2006 — Senior shortstop Josh Stern (Millword, N.Y./Horace Greeley) went 3-for-4 and drove in the go-ahead run to lead the Pride of Hofstra to a 7-4 come-from-behind win against visiting James Madison Saturday afternoon in Colonial Athletic Association baseball.

The Pride, 17-24-1 overall and 7-13 in the CAA, has insured itself of its first series win against the Dukes by taking the first two games of the three-game series. The Dukes slipped to 26-17 overall and to 14-6 in CAA games.

Stern's RBI single in the bottom of the seventh scored sophomore designated hitter Matt Kougasian (Rochelle Park, N.J./St. Joseph Regional) to break a 3-all deadlock. Kougasian had doubled, one the Pride's seven, with one out.

The doubles parade continued in the eighth as the Pride all but iced the victory. Sophomore left fielder Dave Cole (Teaneck, N.J./Teaneck) led off the inning with a two-bagger into the left-center gap. Two outs later, senior first baseman Mike Walsh (Norfolk, Mass./King Phillip Regional) doubled to right to plate Cole for a 5-3 Hofstra lead. Senior third baseman Ricky Caputo (Miller Place, N.Y./Miller Place) doubled down the line in left to chase Walsh to the plate. Stern then singled to left to cap off the rally.

Sophomore left-hander Anthony Sarno (Avenel, N.J./Colonia) picked up the timely mound victory with 3 2/3 innings of one-run relief. He gave up four hits, three in the ninth, and fanned three without a walk.

Redshirt junior right fielder Mitchell Moses (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) gave the Dukes a 1-0 lead in the second inning with his third homer of the year.

The Dukes' greatest opportunity to seize control came in the fifth with the game tied 1-1. Moses, junior shortstop Rob Altieri (Greensburg, Pa./Greensburg Central Catholic) and freshman center fielder Matt Townsend (Lorton, Va./Hayfield) all singled to load the bases with no outs. However, only one run scored, and that came on the second out of the inning as redshirt sophomore Joe Lake (Elkridge, Md./Long Reach) rolled a grounder to short.

A doubled by senior first baseman Matt Bristow (Richmond, Va./Mills Godwin) extended the Dukes' lead to 3-1 in the sixth.

The Pride tied the affair in the sixth when freshman second baseman Chris Mentrasti (Hartsdale, N.Y./Archbishop Stepinac) stroked a two-run single to left.

Game three of the series is slated for a 1 p.m. first pitch. A broadcast of Sunday's contest will be available on JMUSports.com Dukes Audio, part of the JMU/nTelos Sports Network.