By PJ Potter -- ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR GAME 1
Brittany Allocca powered the Hofstra softball team to their first win of the season in a 10-4 rout over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville at the FAU Kick-Off Classic.
Allocca drove in a career-high six runs in a 3-for-4 performance at the plate, including two home runs.
The Pride was down 3-0 going into the 4th inning, but quickly snagged the lead and never looked back.
Caryn Bailey led off the top half of the inning with a double to right field. Two batters later, second basemen Lacey Clark roped a single out of the infield to advance Bailey over to third base.
Right fielder Brielle Pietrafesa put Hofstra on the board for their first run with a base hit sending Bailey in to score.
Allocca then stepped into the box for the Pride with two runners on base and blasted what would be the game-winning hit, a three-run home run that put her team up 4-3.
Christie Sinacori then singled up the middle to cap off a five hit inning for the Pride, who logged three hits in the game.
The score remained stagnant until the top of the 6th, which began with Pietrafesa reaching base on an error by the Southern Illinois shortstop and then stealing second base afterwards.
Brittany Allocca once again took advantage of having a runner in scoring position, this time with a single past the pitcher to put Hofstra up 5-3.
Two more singles were given up by SIUE’s Baylee Douglass, hit by Sinacori and Nikki Michalowski, to load the bases for the 2015 First Team All-CAA selection Caryn Bailey.
The senior slugger secured the victory lacing a bases clearing triple, now an 8-3 game.
The Cougars battled back for one run in the bottom half of the inning, but Allocca answered in the 7th, launching a two run shot over the left field fence, her second round-tripper this game.
Hofstra pitcher Madison Grimm earned her first collegiate win. The freshman from Maryland tossed all seven innings surrendering just one earned run, but four total.
Grimm allowed seven hits and four walks for the Pride.
For Southern Illinois Edwardsville, Rachel Keller and Tess Eby each finished with two runs batted in. Keller went 2-for-4.
Baylee Douglass received the loss, who also pitched all seven innings. Douglass gave up ten runs, six earned runs, 12 hits, and one walk. The sophomore struck out six.
GAME 2
Jessica Peslak pitched a gem for Hofstra to go 2-0 on the second day of the FAU Kick-Off Classic, defeating Wright State 3-1.
Peslak muscled seven innings in the circle to receive her first win in a Hofstra uniform. The junior allowed one run on three hits and struck out two.
Wright State’s lone run came in the opening inning when lead-off hitter Hanna Floyd stole home for the Raiders.
Hofstra’s offense would not come alive until the bottom of the 4th, started by back-to-back base hits by Brittany Allocca and Michaela Transue.
Junior Lacey Clark then forced an error by Wright State’s right fielder, which brought both Allocca and Transue home, putting the Pride up 2-1.
Then in the 6th inning, Brielle Pietrafesa clobbered her first home run of the season, a solo blast to left field. Pietrafesa went 2-for-3 in the game.
Ashley Sharp was the given the loss for the Raiders, pitching six innings. She let up seven hits, one earned run, and three walks.
Hofstra (2-2) rounds out the FAU Kick-Off Classic tomorrow against Tulsa, who beat the Pride 6-3 in their season opener, beginning at 11:15 a.m.