The Hofstra University softball team dropped their 10th game in a row against Cornell University, in a 4-3 walk-off loss at the Party at Palmer Invitational on Friday, Feb 28. The Pride has yet to record a win in the 2025 season.
The Pride was never trailing in the game, but they got themselves into hot water late in the game.
Multiple members of the Pride had a multi-hit game, including Chelsea Villar, Mackenzie Fitzgerald and Dahlia Palacio. Palacio had two extra base hits on the day with a double and triple.
Emma Falen started in the circle for the Pride. She pitched a great six innings, only allowing three hits and one earned run. Falen was strong through the six, but a late Cornell rally forced her off the mound in the seventh.
Freshman Carley Ernst took the mound for the Pride in a bases-loaded situation. She faced one batter, Charlize Cai, who knocked in two runs and ended the game.
Kyrie Denny pitched a complete game for the Bears, allowing 10 hits and three earned runs. The Pride were able to get several knocks off Denny, but could not hold onto their lead.
The Pride started strong, taking the lead in the first inning. Tyler Douglas ripped a triple into the right field before tagging up and scoring as Fitzgerald laced a ball into the right field for a sac fly. Fitzgerald leads the Pride with six RBIs.
Both the Pride and the Bears added a run in the third. The Pride strung together hits from Villar, Fitzgerald and Olivia Malinowski to take a 2-0 lead. The RBI from Malinowski was her first of the season.
The Bears put up their first run of the day on back-to-back doubles from Cai and Sydney Stapf.
Strong pitching throughout the fourth and fifth innings kept the Pride’s one run lead intact.
Palacio ripped her second extra base hit of the day in the sixth inning, with a triple down the left field line. Alana Morse brought in Palacio with an RBI single to left field.
The Pride were up two runs going into the bottom of the seventh, and it looked as if they were going to win their first game of the season, but the Bears had a different plan.
Falen walked the first batter she faced in the seventh, which was the beginning of the end for the Pride. Lauren Holt then hit a shot through the right side. A groundout advanced both runners into scoring position.
Back-to-back fielding errors put the Pride under, loading the bases and allowing a run to score. The Pride had the ability to leave the inning unscathed, but sloppy fielding kept the inning moving.
Ernst stepped up on the mound for the Pride and worked the count against Cai. Cai won the battle with a two-run walk off single down the left field line.
The Pride continued to seek their first win throughout the Party at Palmer Invitational in game two of the day against Seton Hall University.
