The Hofstra softball team started hot, but couldn’t finish strong, falling 4-1 to the Seton Hall University Pirates. Mackenzie Suto started for the Pride and took the loss, the Pride’s 19th of the season.
The Pride threatened to score out of the gate, as Kristin Hallam singled and advanced to second on a Kasey Collins groundout. She stole third and Meghan Giordano walked, increasing her streak of games reaching base to 12 games. They couldn’t score as Courtney Scarpato struck out and Angelina Ioppolo grounded out. However, it built momentum for the Pride that shifted into the second inning.
Jaycee Ruberti started the second inning with a triple off the right field wall, her first of the season. She scored a batter later, on a Devyn Losco sacrifice bunt. Ruberti has now hit safely in three consecutive games.
Suto struggled early with her command, an ongoing issue this season. She got through the first two innings without giving up a run, but she got into trouble in both frames. She walked three batters in the first two innings, finishing with a total of five walks.
The Pirates tied the game in the third inning, when Suto threw a wild pitch after allowing a pair of singles. Seton Hall broke the tie an inning later with two runs on a pair of RBI hits from Janae Barracato and Hailey Arteaga.
Scarpato came in relief for Suto in the fifth inning, her eighth appearance of the season in the circle. She got into trouble early, allowing a runner in scoring position with two outs. The runner reached third base on a wild pitch from Scarpato and an errant throw from Losco allowed the runner to score, pushing the Pirate lead to 4-1.
While Seton Hall extended their lead, the Pride struggled to string together a comeback rally. In the fourth and fifth innings, they left five runners on base. They loaded the bases in the fifth, but Losco couldn’t capitalize, flying out to the right fielder.
In the seventh inning, the Pride made one last push for a rally, as Giordano hit a double down the left field line to put a runner in scoring position with one out. Once again, they couldn’t capitalize, as Scarpato grounded out and Ioppolo struck out.
Hallam’s steal in the first inning moved her up to No. 3 on the single-season stolen base record, with 21 on the season. With nine games left in the regular season, she has shattered her previous career high of 11 stolen bases.
The Pride will look to end their three-game losing streak on Friday, April 12, as they open up a three-game set with the Drexel University Dragons in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
