A day after falling to the United States Military Academy, the Hofstra University softball team bounced back on Thursday, March 30, by defeating Howard University at Nationals Youth Academy in Washington D.C., 5-3. 

Meghan Giordano continued her torrid hitting with her third home run in her last three games to help the Pride hand Howard its first loss at home this season. 

Annabella Pisapia collected her second win of the year for Hofstra, giving up two earned runs and only walking one Howard hitter in five innings of work. Nikki Mullin earned her first save of the season for the Pride by getting the final six outs. Amelia Weber started for Howard and was hung with the loss. 

The Pride took the lead early, scoring two runs in the top of the first. With Kasey Collins and Giordano standing on the corners, first baseman Angelina Ioppolo grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Collins for the game’s first run.

In the next at-bat, a wild pitch from Weber allowed Giordano to move up to third. Giordano eventually scored when Brianna Morse reached base on a fielding error by Howard shortstop Sydni Jones. 

Later in the fourth, with the bases loaded, Collins drove a two-out pitch from Howard reliever Mia Gonzales to centerfield that put two more runs on the board for Hofstra. 

Howard scored two runs in the next half-inning, but Giordano’s ninth homer the season to lead off the fifth put the game out of reach.

Hofstra returns to action with a weekend series against North Carolina A&T that begins with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 1, in Greensboro, NC. Game one begins at noon, with game two set for 2:30 p.m.

Photo courtesy of Rob Cuni/Hofstra Athletics