By Elliot Rubin — STAFF WRITER
Game One:
The Hofstra Pride softball team rebounded from a tough loss on Wednesday, to beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 15-8 for the Pride’s fourth win in its last five games.
In a game that featured 23 total runs, with at least one run scoring in every half inning, Penn State opening up the scoring with a home run to right field by leadoff hitter Macy Jones, her first long ball of the season.
Penn State scored another run that frame when, a few batters later, Toni Polk drove in Mollie Sorenson with an RBI single, putting the Lions up 2-0.
Unfortunately for Penn State, this lead was short-lived as Hofstra answered back the next frame with four runs. Alyssa Cuzzola put the Pride on the board with a sacrifice fly, scoring Brittany Allocca.
Later in the inning, Megan Patierno contributed a two-run double, scoring Brielle Pietrafesa and Michaela Transue en route to giving the Pride a 3-2 lead. Hofstra tacked on an insurance run when Chloe Fitzgerald scored on a bases-loaded walk, doubling the lead to 4-2 in favor of Hofstra.
Penn State got a run back in the bottom of the second inning when Lexi Knief scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Jones, cutting Hofstra’s lead to 4-3.
Hofstra scored twice more in the third when Nikki Michalowski reached on an error and Cuzzola and Pietrafesa both scored, giving Hofstra a 6-3 lead.
Transue added another run to the Pride’s lead the next inning with an RBI single to Center, scoring Caryn Bailey and putting the Pride up 7-3.
In the bottom of the fourth, following Shelby Miller’s two run double, the Lions cut the deficit in half and now only trailed 7-5.
However, in the fifth Hofstra scored five times and broke the game open, all within a span of four batters. The inning started with Cuzzola, then Smith after her scoring on a bases-loaded walk.
The next batter, Allocca, hit an RBI groundout, driving in Bailey. The final two runs of the inning came via a two run single from Transue, scoring Smith and Bailey and putting the Pride 12-5.
Penn State scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a Polk home run, her first of the season, and a Knief RBI double, cutting Hofstra’s lead to 12-7. Knief added an RBI single the next frame to bring the Lions within four runs, 12-8. However, these were the final runs that Penn State scored.
During Hofstra’s seventh inning, they added three more runs on one swing by Transue, who blasted a home run, scoring Allocca and Smith and giving the Pride the final score of 15-8. The homer was Transue’s first of the season.
In an offensive barrage that saw few pitchers with positive performances, Hofstra starter Jessica Peslak lasted only four innings, allowing nine hits, seven runs (all earned), five walks and one strikeout. She did get the win (8-4) despite an uneven performance.
Courtney Scarpato pitched the final three innings in relief, and allowed two hits, a run and two walks.
For the Lions, starter Marlaina Laubach only lasted an inning and a third, allowing four hits, four runs (all earned), a walk, and one hits batsmen. Madison Seifert was the first pitcher out of the bullpen for Penn State, and she allowed four hits, eight runs (six earned), four walks and struck out four.
Christy Von Pusch pitched the final two and two thirds innings, allowing three hits, three runs (all earned), four walks and four strikeouts.
Offensively for the Pride, Transue led the day, going 4-for-4 with six RBI, and two runs scored. Patierno had a solid game, going 2-for-2 with 2 RBI. Bailey had two RBI as well as two runs, and Smith, Allocca, and Cuzzola also drove in runs for Hofstra..
For Penn State, Sorenson had two RBI and two runs, in addition to recording her first stolen base of the season. Miller, Polk, and Knief each contributed two RBI as well.
With the win, the Pride improved to 12-9 on the season, and the Lions dropped to 9-12 with the loss.
Game Two:
After winning the series opener earlier on Saturday, the Hofstra Pride softball team beat the Penn State Nittany Lions in the second game of the doubleheader, 9-6, and is in position to sweep the series on Sunday.
Like the first game, Penn State opened up the scoring in the bottom of the first inning. The Lions sprung to a quick 1-0 lead on the heels of a Toni Polk fielder’s choice, scoring Mollie Sorenson.
The Pride answered back with three runs of its own in the third. Brittany Allocca evened the score with a solo homer, her first of the season. Later in the frame, Michaela Transue scored on a bases loaded walk issued to Megan Patierno. Four batters later, Nikki Michalowski hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Patierno. The Pride had a 3-1 lead after two.
In the third, Transue hit a two-run homer, scoring Allocca, and pushing Hofstra’s lead to 5-1.
The next inning, Caryn Bailey hit a solo shot, as Hofstra extended their lead to 6-1.
In the fifth, Lacey Clark drove in Alyssa Cuzzola with a two run homer, Hofstra’s fourth home run of the game, as the Pride built up an 8-1 lead.
Penn State got a little bit closer in the sixth inning when Macy Jones hit a three run double, scoring Reina Furuya and Lexi Knief, cutting Hofstra’s lead to 8-4.
In the seventh, Michalowski drove in the Pride’s ninth run of the game with the team’s fifth home run on the day, giving Hofstra a 9-4 lead.
The Lions tried to mount a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, but its efforts came up just short. Rebecca Ziegler started the scoring off with a fielder’s choice, driving in Erin Pond, and cutting the deficit to 9-5.
Two batters later, Maegan Tupinio scored on a bases loaded walk issued to Furuya. Hofstra’s lead was cut to 9-6, with the bases loaded for the Lions, and Penn State threatening for more. However, with two outs, Jones struck out to end the threat and secure the win for the Pride.
Hofstra starter Courtney Scarpato went the first six innings, allowing five hits, six runs (three earned), and six walks en route to her first win of the season (1-1).
Madison Grimm pitched the final inning, allowing one walk, while striking out three and throwing a wild pitch.
Jones, who got the start for the Nittany Lions, recorded her first loss of the season. In two and a third innings pitched, she allowed four hits, five runs (all earned), three walks and struck out one.
Jessica Cummings came on to pitch four innings in relief, allowing five hits, four runs (all earned), and five walks, while striking out three. Marlaina Laubach pitched the final two thirds of an inning, allowing a hit.
Hofstra had a very well balanced offensive game as three players had multi-hit games, and six of the eight position players had at least one hit.
Transue led the day for the Pride, going 2-for-2 with two runs, two walks, and two RBI. Allocca had a solid game as well, going 1-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Pride recorded 10 hits, and five home runs (Clark, Bailey, Allocca, Transue, and Michalowski) on the game.
For Penn State, Jones led the offense, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and a walk. Jones’ double was her second two-base hit of the season. Polk, Ziegler, and Furuya each had an RBI as well. The Lions only had five hits on the game.
With the win, Hofstra improved to 13-9 on the season. Penn State dropped to 9-13.
