The Hofstra Pride softball team started off the I-75 Challenge on Friday March 1 in a doubleheader versus Kennesaw State. The Pride defeated the Owls 10-3 in game one but dropped game two by a final score of 2-0.
Madison McKevitt got the Pride on the board in the top of the first inning with a single through the right side to score Kristin Hallam.
Madison Suto took the ball in the circle in the bottom of the first inning looking to hold on to Hofstra’s slim lead but the Owls’ offense did not let that happen.
The leadoff hitter, Hannah Thomason, reached first base on a walk. The next batter, Maddie Roth, knocked her in on a double to right-center field.
The game would remain 1-1 until the top of the third inning, when Jaycee Ruberti singled to right field and advanced to second on the throw. McKevitt scored and Lydia Witkowski advanced to third on the play.
Devyn Losco, came up big for the Pride with a double to left field scoring Witkowski. Ruberti would score off a sacrifice fly from Lyndsey Shaw, who was pinch hitting for Imani Myint.
In the bottom of the third, the Owls cut the Pride’s lead in half on an RBI triple to bring the score to 4-2 in favor of Hofstra.
Ruberti, again helped the Pride’s offense, with a single through the ride side scoring Courtney Scarpato and Hallam in the top of the fourth inning, making it 6-2 Hofstra.
Two innings later, Witkowski walked with the bases loaded and Hallam scored. Meghan Giordano would tag up and score on the sacrifice fly off the bat of Ruberti. Amanda Maffucci would score off of a wild-throw by Jade Lee after Myint hit into a fielder choice.
The Pride entered the bottom of the sixth inning, up 9-2. The Owls’ offense tried to generate some runs but could only muster up one run.
Hofstra would score their 10th run of the game off McKevitt’s single to right field scoring Hallam.
Suto would close out the game throwing 110 pitches through seven full innings of work, allowing three runs on eight hits.
In Game 2, it was a pitching battle between Madison Burns for the Pride and Hailey Andrews for the Owls.
The only two runs of the game came in the bottom of the first inning for Kennesaw State.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Owls quickly got two runners on before Lee singled up the middle to score Thomason.
A few batters later Katie Greep singled to center field to score Roth.
The Pride did not have a runner in scoring position until the top of the fifth inning but could not produce any runs.
Burns finished the game allowing just two runs on four hits, striking out three batters. Burns is now 0-5 on the season.
The Pride now holds a record of 2-8 while Kennesaw State is 6-11 on the season.
Hofstra is back in action on Saturday March 2, when they face Georgia Tech in a double header. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics
