By Tim Robertson
Team Mother Nature handed the Pride softball team its only defeat last weekend as the Pride went a perfect 5-0 in a rain-shortened tournament in Florida.
Rain canceled a tournament round in the Under Armour Invitational and, worse, a game against the U.S. Olympic team on Friday.
The Pride prevailed in its other five games – two of which it played on Sunday after the weather postponed them from Thursday and Friday.
The Pride topped Michigan State, Coastal Carolina, East Tennessee State, Illinois-Chicago, and, most notably, 13th-ranked Baylor in a high scoring ballgame.
Against the Baylor Bears, Hofstra used an inning-ending and threat-stopping double play from Genevieve Haney with the bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth, and what would turn out to be a game-winning sacrifice fly in the top of the inning from Haney to beat the Bears 8-7.
The win earns revenge on a Baylor team that defeated the Pride in Hempstead in last season’s NCAA tournament in May.
Senior shortstop Pam Dreslinski started the Pride off with a two-RBI single in the first inning and junior Melissa Hodge followed by driving in Dreslinski to make it 3-0 right off the bat. After junior starter Kayleigh Lotti allowed a three-run home run in the third, the Pride answered back with four more runs. Senior second baseman Casey Fee began the run with an RBI single that brought in Haney, and after an error and a two-RBI double by catcher Carolann Lubach the Pride had a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
In the fifth, Lotti allowed a two-run double then was replaced by reliever Joanna Kralowetz. Lotti would earn the victory, but gave up six earned without striking anyone out. Kralowetz surrendered one run once she came in, but staved off the rally in the sixth – thanks to Haney – and would survive the seventh, as the Bears managed just one run in the final frame making the final stand at 8-7.
The win over Baylor gives the Pride wins over a ranked opponent in each of the past two seasons.
Fantastic pitching proved the difference in the Pride’s other four wins last weekend, as each Hofstra pitcher factored in a shutout win for the Pride.
Lotti and freshman Sara Michalowski earned complete game shutouts against Illinois-Chicago and Michigan State, respectively.
Junior Courtney Oliver and Kralowetz combined for a shutout against Coastal Carolina in the invitational’s opening game.
For Lotti, it was her second shutout of the season, as she fanned six while walking a pair and allowing just two runs against the Flames in the Pride’s 2-0 win. A pair of UIC errors and a sacrifice fly by Hodge made the difference.
Against the Spartans, Michalowski also gave up just a pair of hits on the way to her fourth win of her young career. Bernstein and sophomore Laura Jaxheimer each drove in a run to give the Pride the 2-0 win.
Oliver started against Coastal Carolina and threw 4.2 innings of scoreless softball from the circle and allowed just four hits while striking out three. Oliver picked up the win, her third of the season. Kralowetz entered in relief and closed out the final 2.1 innings. Kralowetz surrendered two hits and showed control by not walking a batter. She picked up her first save of the year.
The Pride capitalized on three Lady Chants errors and plated three unearned runs. Lubach and sophomore Michele DePasquale picked up RBIs for Hofstra.
The Pride also topped East Tennessee State 5-2, as Fee went 2-for-4 with two runs scored and Michalowski pitched six scoreless frames before ETSU pushed two meaningless runs across in the seventh. The freshman pitched one out in the seventh before Kralowetz replaced her and picked up her second save. Haney, Oliver and sophomore Kris Root each drove in runs for the Pride, who benefited from two unearned runs as well.
With CAA play on the horizon and its southern trips over, the Pride return to Hempstead with a 13-7 record, three games better than last season.
Hofstra will bring its six-game winning streak back home this weekend as the Pride host Stony Brook and St. Joseph’s for two games apiece beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday.