After the Hofstra University softball team took game one of the series, they returned to Tiger Softball Stadium for game two of their three-game set against Towson University on Friday, April 4. Ryleigh Smith led the Pride, blasting two of the team’s five home runs for a 9-2 victory.
The five Pride home runs tied the program record, which had previously been matched four other times against George Mason University on April 9, 2006, against Central Connecticut State University on March 17, 2013, against Pennsylvania State University on March 16, 2016, and against Drexel University on April 21, 2018.
Madison Steppe started in the circle for the Pride. She made her 14th start of the season and carried an 8-3 record, alongside a 4.07 ERA entering the day. She pitched the complete game, struck out six batters, gave up six hits, walked one batter, allowed two runs and earned the victory.
For the Tigers, Amanda Medina stepped inside the circle for her 15th start of the season and carried in a 5-6 record, alongside a 5.54 ERA. She pitched the full seven innings, struck out one batter, gave up twelve hits, walked four batters, allowed nine runs and was tagged with the loss.
Hofstra got the scoring started early in the first. Dahlia Palacio tripled to right field and was brought home on a Gabby Sultan swat to left center field. Later in the inning, Chelsea Villar scored on a Nicole Cancel groundout to give the Pride a 3-0 lead before Towson even had the chance to hit.
The hits kept coming for Hofstra, as Alanna Morse drove a pitch over the wall in left center field to extend the Pride’s lead to four in the second inning.
In the third, Smith and Villar went back-to-back with solo shots to bring the Hofstra lead to 6-0.
Towson answered back in the bottom of the fourth; Kaci Benton roped a leadoff homer over the left field wall to end the shutout hopes for Steppe.
The Tigers doubled their total in the sixth after Grace Franczyk doubled to center field, which scored Benton.
In the seventh and final frame, Smith went deep for the second time with a two-run shot, and Victoria Frobosilo flew out to left field to score Cancel, giving the Pride a 9-2 lead that held for the final three outs.
With the win, the Pride moved to 20-15 on the season and 13-1 in Coastal Athletic Association play, while Towson dropped to 19-16 on the season and 4-7 in the conference play. The win clinched Hofstra’s fifth straight 20-win season.
The series concluded in Towson on Sunday, April 5. First pitch from Tiger Softball Stadium was set for 3 p.m.
