The Hofstra Pride softball team swept the Drexel University Dragons in a doubleheader at DU Softball Field in Philadelphia, PA, on Friday, May 5. The Pride won the first game by a 6-4 score, before winning the second game, 4-2. With both victories, Hofstra is 15-7 in conference play and 23-24 overall this season.
In the first of two games, with the game tied at 3-3 at the top of the fifth inning, freshman Alanna Morse doubled down the left field line, allowing for teammates junior Becca Vaillancourt and senior Aliya Catanzarita to reach home plate and give the Pride a two-run lead. One inning later, Vaillancourt singled up the middle, leading to a run for graduate student Angelina Ioppolo.
Catanzarita and Vaillancourt each had three hits, the most out of any Hofstra player in the first game. Catanzarita got the Pride going earlier on with a home run to right-center field in the second inning to put her side on the board first. She followed that up with a single to right field at the top of the third, allowing for graduate student Meghan Giordano and senior Chelsea Manto to reach home plate and extend the lead to 3-0.
Drexel responded at the bottom of the third inning, as sophomore Mia Garza struck it out of the park to tie the game in the blink of an eye, with junior Ashley Errico and sophomore Izzy Alamillo already on second and third base, respectively. Errico hit a homerun of her own in the seventh and final inning, but there was no comeback for the Dragons as Hofstra took game one.
In the second game, the visiting Pride took over at the top of the fifth inning. Trailing for the first time all day, graduate student Kasey Collins tied the game at 2-2 as Ioppolo flew out to the left field. Manto got her second run of the day off a pitching error to put Hofstra in front. After stealing third base, Giordano also got her second run of the day to double their lead before the inning was over. The Pride didn’t allow any more hits as they went on to win again.
Hofstra ensured themselves one last series win in the regular season. They tacked on two more wins on the road as they are now 11-8 away from home. It’s a bounce-back win after a 9-1 loss to the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens a week ago, which forced them to halve the series with the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) leaders.
The Pride has one last game scheduled for the regular season. It’s their series finale with the Dragons on Saturday, May 6. It’s scheduled to start at noon Eastern. It’s their last warm-up before the CAA Championship, which will be played next week. The host site for the tournament will be in Hofstra’s own backyard at Bill Edwards Stadium.
Photo courtesy of Pete Coco/Hofstra Athletics
