Hofstra ace John Rooney reacts after ending his night with a big strikeout (Aaron Fitt)

Rooney, Brnovich Deliver Special Duel

ELON, N.C. — It figured to be the pitching matchup of the year in the Colonial Athletic Association, and the showdown between Hofstra’s John Rooney and Elon’s Kyle Brnovich certainly lived up to that billing. In fact, it was the best pitching duel I’ve seen all year.

Brnovich, a sophomore righthander, entered the contest as the national strikeout leader (85), while Rooney was second in the CAA (63). Rooney, a junior lefty, was leading the conference in ERA (1.29, 14th-best in the country), while Brnovich ranked second (1.51). Rooney had allowed just 4.04 hits per nine innings (best[…]