The Hofstra softball team visited UNC-Wilmington (UNCW) this weekend, starting with a double header on Saturday, April 27. The Pride took Game 1 by a score of 12-4 but dropped the second contest 6-1.
Madison Burns (13-11) pitched a complete game in the opening matchup, allowing four runs on 11 hits and striking out three batters. Her opposition from the Seahawks was Haley Lenderman (9-13) who allowed 10 runs on 10 hits in just 4 2/3 innings.
The Pride did most of their damage in the middle innings, but it was UNCW that got on the board first in the bottom of the first. With two on and one out, Hannah Adamczyk smacked a two-run double to right center field, scoring Jada Santiago and Janel Gamache.
A big third inning for Hofstra saw a two-run single from Courtney Scarpato that scored Kasey Collins and Lydia Witkowski and was punctuated by a two-run homer from the next batter, Alexis Goeke. It was the third on the season for Goeke and it gave the Pride a 4-2 lead.
The very next inning brought in three more runs for the Pride. Kristin Hallam hit a two-run single that scored Devyn Losco and Jaycee Ruberti. After stealing second and third, Hallam made her way home on an infield single by Meghan Giordano.
The Pride’s stranglehold got tighter in the fifth. With the bases loaded and two outs, Hallam blasted a bases-clearing double to left, bringing the Hofstra lead to 10-2. Hallam finished with a game high five RBIs.
The Seahawks put a couple of runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Adamczyk and Casey Jones scored on a two-out single by Logan Bjorson, but it was too little too late.
The top of the seventh brought the Pride’s final two runs of the game. Giordano and Scarpato drove in Collins and Hallam, respectively, on back-to-back RBI singles before Burns ended the game in the bottom of the inning.
The Pride seemed to lose their scoring touch in the second game. Laurel Koontz (6-0) shut Hofstra down in her complete game victory while Mackenzie Suto (6-12) took the loss after giving up four runs on four hits in three innings.
It was UNCW that got the scoring going early in the bottom of the first. After Taylor Smith walked to load the bases with one out, Lacey Fox grounded into a fielder’s choice, scoring Rachel Willis. Adamczyk cleared the bases with her first at bat of Game 2 and fifth on the day, doubling to score Smith and Santiago and making the score 3-0.
The Seahawks would score again in the third when Adamczyk doubled in Santiago and the fourth when Santiago tripled in Gamache with two outs. When the Pride came up to bat in the top of the fifth, they were down 5-0.
Hofstra would get on the board in that inning on another run by Hallam who was knocked in by Giordano. It was the only run they would score, however, and it was too little too late.
UNCW got the run right back in the bottom of the inning when Bjorson singled in Camryn Dean to round out the scoring at 6-1.
The rubber match of this series is scheduled for Sunday, April 28 at noon.
Image Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
