By Frank Aimetti – STAFF WRITER Lacey Clark’s first home run of the season came at the perfect time, sending the Pride (13-7-1) to their fourth straight in-conference win, in dramatic fashion. Morgan Lashley also recorded her ninth win of the season pushing her win-loss record to 9-1.
“Two pitches got away from her but she did a really, really great job competing and got some quality strikeouts in certain situations,” said head coach Larissa Anderson, speaking on Lashley’s play. “I was really happy to see that, especially in these [harsh] conditions.”
Hofstra got off to an early two-run lead in the second inning after Brielle Pietrafesa laced a single up the middle to drive in two runs. Towson wasted no time in tying it up however, with Holiday Cahill driving a two-run homer over the left field fence. The Pride was able to jump ahead in the fifth after Brittany Allocca lined a single through the left side of the infield, scoring Kim Smith from third base.
That was Brittany Allocca’s team-leading 16th RBI and it came at a crucial time giving Hofstra a 3-2 lead going into the final two innings of the contest. With staff ace Morgan Lashley on the mound, there was the belief that the one-run lead might be enough, Towson had other thoughts.
A lead-off home run in the top of the seventh staved off what seemed to be an inevitable Pride victory, however, Lashley was able to recover and retire the next three batters.
With the heart of the order coming up for the Pride in the bottom of the final inning, there was always the chance that Hofstra would be able to rally and seal the win in regulation. The way in which they won was the surprising part.
The Pride was able to load the bases after a combination of a Towson error and a couple of walks, sending Lacey Clark up to bat with the game in her hands. Clark delivered, drilling the ball into deep left field, over the fence, for a game-winning grand slam, giving Hofstra a 7-3 victory.
“We had to find a way to win in the sixth and seventh innings and we did, it was great seeing some of those quality at-bats in that situation,” said first-year head coach Larissa Anderson, stressing the importance of plate discipline.
Lashley earned her ninth win of the season with a complete game, notching 12 strikeouts in the process, a season high for her.
This loss dropped Towson to 0-4 in CAA play while boosting the Pride’s in-conference record to 4-0.