The Hofstra University softball team continues to struggle as they dropped their eighth and ninth games of the season on Saturday, March 2. Hofstra lost game one to the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions 4-1 and game two 13-0 to the No. 2 ranked University of Texas Longhorns. The Pride currently sits at 2-9 overall for the season while Penn State is 13-1 and Texas is 16-1.
Hofstra opened the scoring in game one against Penn State in the bottom half of the second inning. Olivia Malinowski roped a double into the left-center gap to get things started. Kayla Wilson, the Pride’s left fielder, doubled to center field which gave the team a 1-0 lead.
That lead didn’t last very long, however, as Penn State answered with a run of their own in the top of the fourth frame. Haylie Brunson reached on a fielding error by freshman second baseman Nicole Cancel. Kaitlyn Morrison then doubled to center field, which allowed Brunson a run. The game was knotted at one run apiece.
The game started to slip away from the Pride in the sixth inning, as Liana Jones knocked in two as Emily Maddock and Morrison took the team to a 3-1 lead.
Hofstra’s ace, Julia Apsel, pitched well, as usual, for the first 5.2 innings of the game. A walk, followed by a single and a triple was the first multi-run game from Apsel. The southpaw’s record worsened to 1-2, as she pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three total runs, two earned on seven hits and two walks. She managed to fan three Penn State batters in the loss.
Marisa Ogden started game two for the Pride but couldn’t get out of the first inning. Ogden surrendered five total runs, four earned runs on two walks and two hits before recording an out. Annabella Pisapia took over for Ogden in the first, as she allowed four total runs, three earned runs on three hits and two walks, over 2.1 innings of work. Haley Venturini struggled as well as she couldn’t finish the fourth inning and ended up surrendering four total runs.
While the Longhorns already outhit the Pride 11-2, Hofstra also made it easier for them as they committed three errors in the field. It was all Texas in this one, as they poured in seven runs in the first inning. Kayden Henry got things started for the Longhorns as she led off the bottom of the first with a home run over the center field wall.
This game concluded after five innings of play due to the run-ahead rule. The run-ahead rule is when a team is leading by eight or more runs after five or more equal innings.
Penn State and Texas are potentially the best teams Hofstra will face all season, which is why these games are played so early in the season: to prepare for conference play.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Meullion
