By Mike Rudin and Jeffrey Werner - SPORTS EDITOR AND STAFF WRITER
The Hofstra Pride softball squad entered the Florida Atlantic University Parent’s Weekend Tournament this past weekend and quickly smashed the first game of Friday’s doubleheader with five runs in the first inning to win game one against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 6-1. Despite the strong win, the Pride couldn’t top FAU in game two, falling to the Owls 3-2.
Pitching was the second key component in the game for the Pride as starter Morgan Lashley surrendered one run in 6.1 innings of work. Despite giving up four walks and four hits, Lashley struck out three and worked out of jams to string together five scoreless innings from the very beginning.
After a scoreless top of the first, Hofstra’s offense started out strong with four consecutive hits in the first four plate appearances.
Chloe Fitzgerald got the ball rolling with an infield bunt to reach first base unscathed. Fitzgerald stole second shortly afterwards which allowed her to score off an RBI single from Caryn Bailey for the first run of the game. Bailey then hustled to second on the throw to get in scoring position.
Brittain Allocca stepped to the plate and pulled the same tactic as Fitzgerald with a bunt that granted her an infield hit, putting runners at both corners.
Lacey Clark provided a big swing to crush the ball into center field for a two-run double and pushed the Pride lead to 3-0 with not a single out recorded by Bethune-Cookman University.
The Wildcats started to limit the damage by forcing hitter Erin Trippi to ground out. Her at-bat moved Clark over to third putting her in position to score and Clark reached home plate off an RBI groundout by Michaela Transue.
With two outs, Kim Smith took her spot in the batter’s box and kept the rally alive with a walk to first and put herself in scoring position by stealing second. Danille Bitts delivered the goods with an RBI single to cap off the five-runs in the first.
Hofstra added an extra insurance run in bottom of the second inning thanks to an RBI single by Allocca to drive in Fitzgerald, that put the Pride out in front 6-0.
Wildcats starter Sabrina Anguiano, was pulled from the game two innings in, after surrendering all six runs. The reliever, Bailey Corner, kept the Pride off the board with four scoreless innings, but the damage was done.
Bethune-Cookman scored one run in the sixth inning, but otherwise, Lashley consistently kept the Wildcats off the board throughout the game and earned her third win of the season.
After a solid win, the Pride battled hard in the second game against the FAU Owls, but couldn’t close the door as they dropped the game in extra innings.
The Pride was able to take an early lead thanks to a wild pitch. In the first inning, junior center fielder Caryn Bailey lined the ball down the infield line and was able to reach third. Owls’ pitcher Kylee Hanson threw a pitch that went beyond the reach of the catcher and Bailey was able to score the first run for Hofstra and take a 1-0 lead.
The Owls would respond with a run of their own in the third inning, but the Pride took take the lead once again in the fourth. Freshmen infielder Brittain Allocca came to the plate with Danielle Bitts at third and Bailey at first. Allocca hit the ball up middle to drive in Bitts and give the Pride a 2-1 lead.
Senior pitcher Taylor Pirone had a stellar performance in the game, striking out six batters and allowing zero walks. It looked as though she could keep the Owls off the board and give the Pride it’s second win of the day and seventh of the season. Unfortunately, the Owls’ batters got the best of her in the seventh as she gave up a lead-off hit to Emily Lochten who would steal second and advance to third on a groundout.
One more out was all the Pride needed to end the game, but Pirone threw a pitch far out of the reach of catcher Erin Trippi, allowing Lochten to score and tie the game at two.
Hofstra offense couldn’t get anything done in the top of seventh, so coach Anderson sent Pirone back out to the mound to possibly get one more good inning out of her. Lochten would come up to bat once again with bases loaded and end the game with a single that would drive in the game-winning run.