The Hofstra University softball team shut out the St. John’s University Red Storm 2-0 on Tuesday, April 16. With this non-conference win, the Pride improved to 14-21 overall, while the Red Storm fell to 21-22, just under .500.
Hofstra got no hits through the first three innings of play until the only two runs of the game were scored in the fourth. Olivia Malinowski snapped the no-hit bid with a single up the middle. Aliya Catanzarita followed up the single with a double to deep left field, setting up runners on second and third base with nobody out and Chelsea Villar at the plate.
Villar singled to left field, scoring Malinowski from third to give the Pride a 1-0 lead. With runners on the corners, left fielder Kayla Wilson grounded out to Cassidy Stouffer at second base, but Catanzarita came around to score to cap off the two-run inning.
Hofstra softball head coach Adrienne Clark discussed the message given to the team ahead of the game-winning inning.
“Nothing out of the ordinary, just the normal, ‘Hey, make sure we’re swinging at quality pitches early in the count,’ which we did, and then good things happened,” Clark said.
Clark made situational hitting a major point of emphasis after the previous weekend’s series sweep by Stony Brook University. The Pride batted .250 with runners on base against the Red Storm compared to batting .166 with runners on base against Stony Brook.
“I actually complimented Kayla [Wilson] after, I mean, we had a lot of moving parts there between Chelsea Villar’s ground ball and Kayla’s,” Clark said. “[Wilson] being able to hit a ground ball to anything to the right side is going to score the run, and that’s exactly what we did. So, kudos to them for really trying to understand the importance of situational hitting.”
Marisa Ogden earned her first win of the season and ultimately had the best start of her collegiate career. Ogden tossed five scoreless innings with two strikeouts while allowing four hits and one walk.
In the top of the fifth inning, Ogden faced some adversity, but got out of the inning unscathed in the end with web gems from Alanna Morse at shortstop and Mackenzie Fitzgerald at third base.
“It was incredible,” Clark said. “[Ogden] did a fantastic job of hitting spots, mixing her pitches and keeping the ball low. When you do that, it gives the defense an opportunity to make a play, and that’s exactly what she did today. It was pretty phenomenal.”
Annabella Pisapia earned her first save of the season by pitching two perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, fanning two St. John’s batters. While she dealt with control issues, she didn’t allow any free passes.
“Yeah, it’s huge,” Clark said. “It’s definitely something that we have been focusing on trying to eliminate. So, with that, I thought she also did a great job coming in, utilizing her strength which is her changeup and then working to hit spots with her other stuff. I thought she did a great job of attacking the zone.”
Hofstra is back in action with a Colonial Athletic Association series against the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens on Friday, April 19. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Rob Cuni
