FINAL SCORE
Hofstra 7 (22-30, 12-13 CAA)
Monmouth 3 (17-29, 10-15 CAA)
 
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – James Harmstead moved into a tie for second place on the career home runs list with his sixth inning blast, but it was not enough as the Monmouth University baseball team fell to Hofstra University 7-3 on Thursday afternoon in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play. 
 
The Hawks wasted little time in striking first in this one. Casey Caufield stroked the sixth pitch he saw into right center for a base knock. A failed pickoff attempt, and a Hofstra error put Caufield on third. He came around to score on Austin Denlinger's double to left. Phil Stahl followed with a single to center that scored Harmstead and made it a 2-0 game. 
 
Hofstra tied things up with a two-run double in the bottom of the third. The Pride took a 3-2 edge with a solo home run in the fourth. 
 
With two outs in the sixth, Harmstead powered a ball over the wall in left and tied the game at 3-3. 
 
Hofstra took the lead for good in the seventh. The Pride sent seven men to the plate and scored four runs on five hits. That gave the home team a 7-3 lead in the contest. 
 
The Hawks got a runner on in the eighth and two in the ninth put could not push anything across as Hofstra claimed the 7-3 victory. 
 
NOTES
- Monmouth leads the all-time series with the Pride, 8-7. However the Pride have won five straight against the Hawks.
- Harmstead's home run in the sixth was his seventh of the year and 34th of his career. He moved into a tie with Jay Law (1999-2002). 
- Phil Stahl's first inning single extended his current hit streak to a season-best 14 games.  
- Austin Denlinger's first inning double was his team leading 15th of the season. It is the most doubles by a Hawk since Jake Catalano had 16 in 2022. 
- Casey Caufield ran his hit streak to six straight games. 
- Drew Helmstetter finished with three strikeouts and recorded at least two strikeouts in all 14 starts of his career. 
- Derek Benzinger made his team-leading 17th appearance of the season out of the bullpen to finish to the game.  

NUMBERS CRUNCH
- Hofstra finished with a 13-5 edge in hits in the contest.
- Each team had three extra base hits in the game.
- Micheal O'Hanlon earned the win on the mound for Hofstra as he went eight innings and gave up three runs on four hits while striking out four. 
- Drew Helmstetter took the loss for the Hawks after giving up seven runs in 6.2 innings.
 
NEXT UP
Monmouth and Hofstra play the middle game of the series on Friday, May 17 at 1 p.m.