By Mike Rudin – Sports Editor
Senior Day took place at Bill Edwards Stadium for the Hofstra Pride last Sunday and the Pride went on to complete their three-game series sweep of their CAA opponent, the Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens, with a 3-0 win.
“Very impressed with our defense, we made some great plays today. Anytime you can shutout a team, you know you’re pitching [well] and playing great defense,” said head coach Larissa Anderson. “Offensively, I thought we were a little tentative and we were evaluating too much.”
Sunday’s win marks Hofstra’s third straight shutout in the series against the Fightin’ Blue Hens. The Pride (14-3 CAA) improved to 30-11-1 on the season and locked up the second seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Hofstra’s senior starting pitcher, Morgan Lashley, received the nod for Sunday’s game and improved her record to 18-1.
“She came out, and obviously it’s a very emotional day with Senior Day, and I think that had something to do with it. She has a lot of pride in her performance,” said Anderson. “I know every time she goes out on the mound she’s going to give everything she possibly has and she did.”
The game started with the Pride up early 1-0 in the bottom of the first and it was all the run support Lashley required in the game.
Three walks, scattered to Caryn Bailey, Kim Smith and Brielle Pietrafesa, respectively, set the stage for senior catcher Erin Trippi at the plate.
Trippi was clipped by a pitch and she drove in the first run with an RBI hit-by-pitch.
After the first, both teams threw three consecutive, scoreless innings until the Pride scored again in the bottom of the fifth.
With Clark at second and Pietrafesa at first, Erin Trippi stepped in and put up her second RBI of the day as she reached first on a throwing error by the Delaware third baseman Heather Oakley, which brought Clark home and Pietrafesa to third.
Brittany Allocca came to the plate with runners on second and third and managed to squeeze out an RBI groundout to extend Hofstra’s lead to 3-0 by the end of the inning.
Senior pitcher Taylor Pirone took over for Lashley in the top of the fifth to close out the game, and received her fourth save on the year. The two pitchers compiled a three-hit, shutout win for the Pride.
Lashley pitched 4.1 innings while surrendering two hits, no runs, no walks and striking out five batters.
Pirone closed out the game pitching 2.2 innings while giving up one hit, no runs, no walks and striking out two.
The Pride concluded their 10-game home stretch with a five-game winning streak and finished the home stretch with an 8-2 record.
Hofstra will play the last four, 2015 regular-season games on the road. First, against Seton Hall University then a three-game series against their CAA rival, the Elon Phoenix.
The Pride will take on the Seton Hall Pirates this Tuesday on April 28 at 4:00, followed by their final CAA series at College of Charleston this weekend.