The Hofstra Pride softball team dropped their first two games of the Unconquered Invitational, losing to the Indiana University Hoosiers 8-4 and the No. 3 Florida State University Seminoles 3-0 on Friday, Feb. 25. Haley Venturini and Julia Apsel took the losses in the circle for the Pride, while Brianna Copeland and Danielle Watson earned the wins for the Hoosiers and Seminoles, respectively.
The losses drop the Pride to 0-6 for the season, as they search for the first win in head coach Adrienne Clark’s tenure.
While Hofstra struggled out of the gate, not recording a hit in the first three innings of Game One, the Hoosiers started off hot, scoring in each of the first three innings. Grayson Radcliffe opened the scoring, hitting a home run in the first inning. Brooke Benson hit an RBI double in the second inning, while Grace Lorsung and Sarah Stone each drove in a run in the third inning to push Indiana’s lead to 4-1.
Meghan Giordano got the Pride on the board in the fourth inning, driving in Kasey Collins with a double to center field. Giordano was responsible for every run the Pride scored today, as she hit a three-run home run in her next at-bat. She was the only member of the Pride to have a multi-hit game against Indiana, going 2-3 with four RBIs.
However, by the time Giordano hit her home run, Indiana had already added four more runs, scoring all of them in the fifth inning.
Despite the five runs allowed for Venturini, only two were earned, as she added on five strikeouts and only walked one batter in her fourth career appearance. Nikki Mullin relieved her, walking a batter and allowing three earned runs in the final two innings.
The Pride’s second game of the day, against Florida State, started off poorly, as Michaela Edenfield hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Seminoles a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. The Seminoles added an insurance run in the third inning, as Kalei Harding drove Mack Leonard in with a double to left field.
Hofstra struggled considerably at the plate against the Seminoles, as Gianna Iaquinto recorded the only hit for the Pride in the second inning. The hit gave the Pride runners on first and second with two outs, but Devyn Losco couldn’t break the shutout, lining out to end the rally.
Watson dominated in the circle for Florida State, striking out 11 batters in a complete game shutout. Apsel held her own in the loss, playing for six innings and striking out two batters. She held the Seminoles to just three runs, their second-lowest total of the season.
Despite not recording a hit in the second game, Giordano continued her impressive day at the plate, drawing two walks. After starting the season on an 0-10 skid, Giordano has gone 4-7 with two walks in her last three games.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
