The Hofstra softball team was shut out on the road in five innings to George Washington University on Wednesday, March 20. The Revolutionaries won via the mercy rule 10-0 against the Pride down in Washington.
With the loss, Hofstra regresses to 6-14 on the season while George Washington is 15-12 on the season. Freshman Cece Smith got her fourth win of the season for the Revolutionaries while the loss was handed to Marisa Ogden, her fifth.
The home squad stepped on the gas in the bottom of the first inning. After Ogden got two quick outs to begin the inning, things only started to go downhill from there. It began with a four-pitch walk before Alexa Williams started the scoring, taking the first pitch she saw into right-centerfield for a double to score Allison Heffley.
Four straight hits from Ashley Corpuz, Paige Hayward, Mandy Lauth and Rose Cano brought in four more runs. Corpuz began the aerial attack with a single to bring in Heffley. After Hayward singled up the middle, allowing Corpuz to get to second base, Lauth hit a one-bagger to score Corpuz. Cano made it 5-0 with a double into right-center field, bringing in two runs. This ended the day early for Annabella Pisapia. Ogden came in and got the job done in the first inning.
Nine straight outs for both sides came and went before the bottom of the third when Williams hit a double to lead off that half of the frame. Sidney Torres came in to pinch-run for Williams, advancing to third on a groundout by Corpuz. Torres was brought home on the next at-bat, an RBI single into left field from Hayward.
If the Revolutionaries stepped hard on the gas pedal in the first inning, they certainly floored the engine in the bottom of the fourth. With runners at the corners and one out against Ogden, Anna Butler was thrown in the circle to get out of the jam.
That was not the case, as Maggie Greco sent the ball to right center field for a triple to bring in two runs, 8-0. Heffley followed that up by blistering Butler’s 1-0 offering to right field for a double to bring Greco home. Butler’s day came to a swift end, putting star pitcher Julia Apsel in the circle.
Apsel struck out her first hitter looking before giving up one last run to Corpuz, which brought in pinch-runner Gabby Polsky. George Washington was one frame away from mercy-ruling their guests.
Alanna Morse began with a groundout on the first pitch she saw in the fifth. Becca Vaillancourt followed that up with a one-pitch flyout to center field. Smith was one out away, but she needed to get past pinch-hitter Olivia Malinowski. With a 1-1 count, Malinowski grounded out to second, sealing the Pride’s fate.
Hofstra has now lost three of its last four games. This also marks two straight contests where Clark’s side was mercy-ruled, which happened on Tuesday, March 19.
The Pride returned to Coastal Athletic Association play on Friday, March 22, at 1 p.m. on the road against the Monmouth University Hawks. Both programs are in the top half of the conference, with Hofstra just a bit higher overall.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Matteo Bracco
