The Hofstra softball team picked up a 10-2 five-inning victory over Seton Hall on Tuesday afternoon at Bill Edwards Stadium for their seventh straight win.
“Offensively, very impressive, hitting the ball hard. We had a number of home runs again, overall I am very happy with what our performance was today,” said head coach Larissa Anderson.
The hot hitting continued early for Hofstra. In the bottom of the first inning, Brielle Pietrafesa slugged the first pitch she saw out to center field, giving the Pride a 1-0 lead. It was her team-leading ninth home run.
In the bottom of the second, the Hofstra bats picked up right where they left off. Five runs came in, four of them coming with two outs. Courtney Scarpato led off the inning with a double and scored on a passed ball. Michaela Transue followed up with an RBI single, scoring Megan Patierno who had reached base earlier on an infield single.
Pietrafesa kept the line moving, picking up her second RBI of the game with a single to center field, plating Transue. Brittany Allocca capped off the inning with an RBI base hit off the left field wall, driving in Kristin Hallam and Pietrafesa.
Getting the start for Hofstra was sophomore pitcher Sarah Cornell. Her lone blemish came in the top of the third when Janae Barracato took her out to left field for a two-run home run.
Hofstra wasted no time getting those runs back. Scarpato led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo shot – her second straight game with a round tripper. Later in the inning, Nikki Michalowski added a home run of her own.
Cornell escaped trouble in the fourth by striking out Alyssa Prukop with the bases loaded.
“She’s tough. She doesn’t give in, she battles and she knows that her defense is going to make the plays,” Anderson said.
In the bottom of the fifth, Hofstra plated two runs to send everyone home early. Kaitlyne Musa roped a double to center field, bringing in Patierno. To seal the deal, Hallam knocked in Musa with an RBI single into left field.
Cornell allowed two runs in five innings while striking out seven and scattering three hits. She improves to 15-5 on the season.
The Pride will be back in action on Saturday when they hit the road to take on the University of Delaware in a doubleheader starting at 12 p.m.
