The Hofstra University softball team dropped a close game to No. 23 Baylor University in an 8-7 loss on Saturday, Feb. 15. The Pride battled, scoring four runs in the top of the seventh but falling just short of a comeback.
The Pride and Bears each had 11 hits on the day. Hofstra came into the game without scoring a run and only recording five hits across their last two games.
Chelsea Villar had a night for the Pride, going 2-2 with a two-run blast, a single and two walks. Alanna Morse was 2-4 on the night, knocking a triple and two RBI singles. Olivia Malinowski had a strong defensive game behind the plate, catching two runners stealing. She also recorded her first hit of the season, with a double in the sixth inning.
The Pride rallied late in the seventh, making it a tight ballgame. Villar continued to hit, getting on base for the fourth time with a single. Dahlia Palacio followed with a double, putting two runners in scoring position. Anna Butler reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases before Mackenzie Fitzgerald knocked in one run with a single to right field.
Gabby Sultan came off the bench and recorded an RBI with a walk. With two outs, Morse drilled a ball out to right field, bringing in two runs. Morse tried to reach second on the hit but was tagged out, ending the game.
Starting in the circle for the Pride was freshman Carley Ernst. Ernst started her collegiate debut with a strikeout. She finished the day allowing seven earned runs on eight hits across 5.2 innings.
Dariana Orme took the mound for the Bears, throwing a complete game. Orme recorded six strikeouts and three walks, while allowing seven earned runs.
The Pride recorded their first run of the season in the second inning, spearheaded by back-to-back triples off the bats of Morse and Nicole Cancel. Villar stepped up to the plate and knocked the ball deep over the left field fence for a two-run blast to put the Pride up early.
Baylor answered back, putting up two runs in the bottom half of the inning. A hit by pitch, a walk and two singles tied the game for the Bears.
The Bears tacked on six runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a commanding 8-3 lead over the Pride. The rally began with an infield single from Amber Toven. The Bears’ bats got hot, hitting four doubles in the fourth inning.
Coming in mid-inning on relief was Emma Falen, who pitched a complete game on Friday for the Pride. Falen pitched 1.1 innings, allowed three hits and gave up one earned run.
Haley Venturini was the third pitcher for the Pride, entering the game in the sixth inning, after starting the game earlier in the day against the University of Oklahoma. Venturini pitched one inning, walking only one batter and allowing no runs.
Hofstra fell to 0-3 for the season with the loss, while Baylor improved to 5-3. The Pride rounded out the Getterman Classic with games against Oklahoma and Baylor on Sunday, Feb. 16.
