In Hempstead, the Hofstra softball team fell to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a non-conference battle 11-5 Wednesday afternoon.
Despite Hofstra outhitting Rutgers 10-9, the Scarlet Knights were able to take more advantage of their opportunities.
Rutgers got off to a fast start with RBI singles from Nicole Bowman and Rebecca Hall – a quick 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Hart added to her productive afternoon, as she notched a two RBI single up the middle to extend the Rutgers lead to five. After Hofstra got a run back on a bases loaded walk, Rutgers stormed right back in the fifth inning, scoring five runs on a walk and an error. At that point, the game was 10-1 and out of reach for the Pride.
That was one of three Pride errors on the day.
“Not a pretty game, I don’t know how much we did well. We didn’t pitch well, we didn’t play that great defense…you can’t walk twelve and expect to be in the ballgame,” Hofstra head coach Larissa Anderson said.
Of the twelve walks, five came from starting pitcher Sarah Cornell. After getting off to a dazzling 6-0 start, she has struggled of late, allowing 26 earned runs in her last five starts.
Against the Scarlet Knights, she continued her recent struggles, giving up five runs (four earned) in three innings of work. She dropped to 9-6 on the season, raising her earned run average to 3.45. Reliever Alyssa Irons also got hit hard, giving up four runs in three innings and walking seven. Her ERA rose to 8.30.
On the other end of the spectrum, Hofstra managed to knock ten base hits on the afternoon, including a pair from Kristin Hallam, Brielle Pietrafesa, Megan Patierno, Nikki Michalowski and Kaitlyne Musa.
Pietrafesa hit a two-run homerun for the Pride, her third of the season. As for the Scarlet Knights, they recorded nine hits on the afternoon, including a three-hit, four-RBI day from Rebecca Hall.
With the loss, the Pride falls to 10-13 on the season, while Rutgers improved to 9-21. Hofstra will look to rebound from the loss, as they will face Towson in Hempstead Apr. 1 at 4:30 p.m.
