In a 1-0 shutout on Tuesday, March 18, the Hofstra University softball team took home their third win of the season over Howard University. This was the first game of their two-game Washington D.C. metro area road trip. The Pride now sit at 3-19 on the season.
The pitching was strong on both sides with the only run of the day having been scored by Mackenzie Fitzgerald on a wild pitch. Each team struggled to put runners on base, resulting in three hits per team.
Anna Butler took the circle for the Pride for her first start of the season after primarily playing first base. She earned the win, lasting five innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out two.
Freshman Carley Ernst got her first collegiate save, coming out of the Hofstra bullpen and pitching two innings, recording a strikeout and only allowing one hit. Hofstra’s pitching allowed no extra-base hits.
Howard’s starting pitcher, Mia Gonzales, lasted three innings in the circle, allowing two hits and no earned runs, while Ameenah Ballenger was given the loss in her one inning of work, allowing one hit and one earned run. Julia Holt finished up the game in the circle for the Bison, working three innings, striking out three and allowing no hits or runs.
Both Hofstra and Howard put up 1-2-3 first innings. In the second inning, Gemma D’Orazio hit an infield single and stole second base, but the Pride left her stranded.
Hofstra had another spark of offense in the third inning with a double from Dhalia Palacio, however, the pride’s lineup was unable to bring her home.
Howard’s only productive offensive inning was the bottom of the third. Bri Martinez singled through the middle and Cheyenne Castille drove a single out to left field. Despite the two hits in the inning, Gonzales left two stranded.
Fitzgerald got things started with a double to center field. A ground out from Victoria Frobosilo advanced Fitzgerald to third. Fitzgerald came across the plate for the only run of the day on a wild pitch.
From the bottom of the fourth inning until the top of the seventh inning, the pitching shut down all offensive production, as neither team was able to secure a hit.
Howard tried to rally late in the bottom of the seventh with a single from Alyssa Vasquez down the left-field line. The two-out hit proved to be the end, as Ernst finished out her game in the circle with a ground out back to the pitcher.
Hofstra looked for their fourth win of the season against the University of Maryland Baltimore County on Wednesday, March 19. The first pitch was scheduled for noon.
