By Mike Rudin – Sports Editor
Day three marked the highlight of the LSU invitational for the Pride with a 3-2 win over the No. 20 ranked University of Notre Dame.
Designated hitter Brittany Allocca got things going fast for the Pride when she slammed a three-run homer over the wall in left center in the top of the first inning against the Fighting Irish. She was one of the two X-factors in the game for Hofstra, her three-run blast compiled all the run support needed in the game.
Reliever Taylor Pirone was the second X-factor with a shutout performance in the last 4.2 innings pitched for the Pride. Pirone’s clutch outing became vital after Hofstra starter, Morgan Lashley, struggled in the opening the inning – surrendering both runs to Notre Dame in the bottom of the first.
The fighting Irish answered back after Hofstra took an early 3-0 lead with two Hit-By-Pitches by Lashley to bring in two runs for Notre Dame in the bottom of the first.
Back-to-back hits kicked off the first with a leadoff double by Karley Wester and follow with a single by Jenna Simon that put runners on the corners with no outs. Lashley didn’t help her situation against the next batter to follow with a walk that filled the bases and no outs. Thus, it set up for the next two batters who were beaned back-to-back which shrunk Hofstra’s lead down to one run.
The remaining eight innings went scoreless for both teams after a productive first on both sides. Pirone took over in the third inning after Lashley settled down and recorded one more with a fly ball caught in center. She pitch 2.1 innings as the starter and let three hits, two earned-runs and two walks go by in her outing – she also put up one strikeout on the board.
Pirone picked up nicely where Lashley left off with an inning-ending double-play to retire Notre Dame in the bottom of the third.
Taylor Pirone pitched 4.2 innings without a single hit, run or walk that shut down the Fighting Irish and she struck-out one batter during her performance.
Notre Dame’s Rachel Nashland kept the Fighting Irish to keep them within one run and was unstoppable against the Pride offense. The reliever shutdown Hofstra with six scoreless innings – she started in the second inning when Notre Dame’s starter was pulled after the first.
Nashland matched Pirone with no runs or hits in her outing, yet she allowed three walks to go by but struck-out six Hofstra batters for Notre Dame.
Other than the two hits in the top of the first – including the three-run homer – the Hofstra Pride went 0-for-20 throughout the rest of the game. The Pride walked five times in the game but struck-out a total of eight times.
Notre Dame went 3-for-23 in plate appearances and walked twice and struck-out twice against Hofstra.
Hofstra softball concluded the first invitational of the season with a 2-3 record and will move forward with the Louisiana-Lafayette invitational next.
The Pride returns back to action with another doubleheader to start the series on day one. The first matchup is against University of Iowa on Feb. 20 at 12:00 p.m. and then game two is against University of Louisiana at Lafayette beginning at 5:00 p.m.
