By Jeffrey Werner – STAFF WRITER After completing the FAU Kickoff Classic, the Hofstra Pride softball team was off to their next tournament, the FGCU Invitational. Day one got off to a great start on Friday, winning both games against St. Louis University (8-7) and against Florida Gulf Coast University (2-0).
Junior pitcher Jessica Peslak started the game on the mound for the Pride in the first game.
She got off to a rough start in the top of the first inning. The No. 2 Billikens hitter, Mackenzie Peter, hit the ball over the centerfield wall which gave St. Louis an early 1-0 lead.
Peslak regained her composure and pitched an impressive game, striking out six batters while allowing two other hits.
Hofstra didn’t stay down for long as they fired back with a six-run rally in the bottom of the second.
Michaela Transue doubled to right center and advanced to third base on a groundout. Nikki Michalowski came up with a RBI opportunity and took advantage, driving the ball to center to allow Transue to score and tied the game at 1-1.
Hofstra’s offense wasn’t done, as they loaded the bases for Kim Smith. She rocketed the ball out of the park for a grand slam that gave the Pride a 5-1 lead. Then Brittany Allocca’s double tacked on another run, driving in Caryn Bailey, for insurance.
The Pride offense continued their onslaught throughout the rest of the game. Michalowski added another RBI other stat line with Tarnsue scoring on a groundout.
Lacey Clark tallied a RBI with a single that drove in Bailey, and Smith totaled her fifth RBI in the game with a double down the infield line that drove in pinch-runner Alyssa Cuzzola, giving Hofstra the 9-1 victory.
The Pride had little time to celebrate their victory as their second game immediately followed. The next opponent was the host of the invitational, the Eagles of Florida Gulf Coast University.
Madison Grimm got to start on the mound for Hofstra. Much like the Billikens did against Peslak, the Eagles were quick to jump on Grimm with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Chloe Fitzgerald scored for Hofstra on an error in the top of the second to cut the lead in half.
But unlike Peslak, Grimm couldn’t regain her composure and coughed up three more runs by the end of the third, trailing 5-1.
Despite the game getting away from them, the Pride’s offense recaptured some rally magic back from the first game.
In the top of the fourth, Michalowski doubled down the left field line to drive in Clark, getting Hofstra within three runs. Then with runners on third and first, Smith launched the ball over the left field fence for her second home run of the day, tying the game at 5-5.
After a quiet fifth, it was a series of miscues and errors by the Eagles in the top of the sixth. Michalowski, Fitzgerald and Bailey scored on two errors which gave the Pride an 8-5 lead going into the bottom half of the sixth.
Before the bottom sixth began, Hofstra head coach Larissa Anderson made a pitching change. Anderson decided to let Courtney Scarpato finish the game and hold off the Eagles.
The pitching change looked as though it wasn’t going to work out. Scarpato gave up two runs to let FGCU come within one run.
But one run was as close as the Eagles got, as Scarpato held them to zero runs in the seventh for the win and her second save this season.
Hofstra improved to 5-2 overall after the back-to-back wins to open the FGCU Invitational.