The Hofstra Pride softball team opened up Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) play on Saturday, March 27 by splitting a doubleheader with the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens at the Delaware Softball Stadium in Newark, DE.
The Pride struck quickly in game one, as an Angelina Ioppolo triple in the top of the second inning gave them an early scoring opportunity. After Brianna Morse walked and Meghan Giordano was struck out by Blue Hens pitcher Emily Winburn, Devyn Losco knocked one to left field to bring Ioppolo home.
The Blue Hens responded in the following inning when Brittney Mendoza flied out to allow Sarah Bessel to reach home.
The teams proceeded to trade quick innings, as both sides tallied just one hit each across the fourth and fifth frames. Brooke Glanden put the Blue Hens ahead in the sixth inning with a solo home run, and the Pride wasn’t able to get anything going in the seventh and final inning, losing the first game 2-1.
Madison Burns took the loss on the mound for Hofstra, giving up two runs against 25 batters. Winburn struck out seven Pride batters in the opening victory.
In game two, the Pride’s bats found their rhythm, putting up seven runs in the opening two innings.
The Blue Hens’ spiral started when a throwing error allowed Jaycee Ruberti to reach second base and send Kasey Collins to third in the game’s third at-bat. Alexis Goeke sacrificed an out for Collins to head home and put points on the board, and a single from Ioppolo brought in Ruberti to give the Pride a 2-0 advantage.
After escaping the bottom of the first— which saw Hanna Garber steal both second and third base without surrendering a run— the Pride erupted for a five-run second inning. After Delaware pitcher Kailey Christian let Hofstra load the bases with no outs, the Blue Hens sent Sarah Piening to the mound.
At the next at-bat, Kristin Hallam grounded out, sending Losco home. Sam Ward was then walked to first base to re-load the bases, and Ruberti sent a double to left field that batted in Giordano and Chelsea Manto. Goeke once again gave up an out to bring Collins home, and another single from Ioppolo batted in Ruberti, giving Hofstra a 7-0 lead.
The Blue Hens responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the second, but Losco led off the third inning by reaching first on a bunt, and a double from Giordano sent her home for another Hofstra run with the inning’s second at-bat.
Delaware closed the gap in the bottom of the inning, when Halle Kisamore blasted a three-run homer to bring the score to 8-4, prompting Hofstra head coach Jay Miller to send in Annabella Pisapia in relief for Nikki Mullin.
Alexa Corben batted in another two runs for the Pride in the next inning while pinch hitting for Morse, as Ioppolo and Amanda Maffucci reached home off of Corben’s single. Karolina Flores sent one out of the park in the fifth inning for the Blue Hens’ fifth run, but Pisapia gave up just two more hits over the game’s sixth and seventh innings.
The Blue Hens’ rally effort fell short in the bottom of the seventh despite Chayanna Gallardo’s sacrifice flyout that sent Grace Rudolph home, as Pisapia struck out Julz Garber and Grace Hrustich in the game’s two final at-bats. Pisapia took the win for Hofstra, tossing 3.2 innings and allowing two runs.
The Pride kept their record above .500 with the win and the loss, as the No. 1 in the CAA Blue Hens snapped the five-game winning streak that the Pride brought to Newark. Hofstra’s record now sits at 7-5 overall and 1-1 in CAA play.
Hofstra will wrap up the weekend series with the Blue Hens on Sunday, March 28 for a single game at 12 p.m.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
