Hempstead, NY - Hofstra battled back from a 9-4 deficit to send the game to extra innings, but Luke Dunlap hit a two-run home run in the top of the 10th inning to snap a 10-10 tie as UNCW posted a 12-10 win over the Pride Saturday afternoon.
The loss coupled with a James Madison win over Delaware eliminated the Pride from postseason consideration as the Dukes claimed the final berth into the Colonial Athletic Association Championship.
Hofstra finished the 2013 season with a 26-27 record overall and a 11-16 conference mark. UNCW, the CAA regular season champs, improved to 37-19, 18-8 in the CAA. The game marked the end of the Hofstra careers of 12 Pride seniors - Andrew Barbarino, Joe Burg, Jared Hammer, John Krause, Gregg Lettini, Chris Nardo, Austin Nyman, Joe Perez, Jared Rogers, Gregg Sarra, Taylor Stuart, John Tiedemann - as well.
The Seahawks built a 9-4 lead after the top of the seventh. Tyler Molinaro hit two home runs over the first seven frames and his two-run shot in the seventh pushed the UNCW lead to five at 9-4.
But the Pride responded with three runs in the bottom of the seventh as Kenny Jackson hit his team-leading ninth home run to pull the Pride within two at 9-7. The Seahawks pushed across another run in the eighth as Dunlap singled home Michael Bass to give UNCW a three-run cushion.
The Pride would not quit and got two runs in the eighth as Nardo led off with a single and Bryan Verbitsky followed with a home run to make it a one-run game. Hofstra tied the game in the ninth, loading the bases with no outs. Nardo drew a bases-loaded walk, but reliever Blaze Tart worked out of the jam by getting two strikeouts and a fielder's choice grounder to end the inning.
In the tenth, Bass led off by reaching base on an error and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Dunlap then took the first pitch he saw over the left field fence to give UNCW the lead.
Hofstra would get the tying runs on second and third in the bottom of the 10th, but the Pride could not get the runs across the plate.
Brett Schreiber (3-3) took the loss for Hofstra, while Tart (3-4) picked up the win.
Kevin Brantley and Hammer both had three hits for the Pride, while Jackson had two hits to go with four RBIs.
Dunlap finished with three hits and four RBIs for the Seahawks, while Molinaro knocked in three runs with his pair of home runs.
