Thanks to an unlikely hero, the Hofstra Pride softball team was able to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat and earn a 4-1 upset victory over the Villanova University Wildcats on Thursday afternoon at Bill Edwards Stadium. Villanova was 5-0 against CAA (Colonial Athletic Association) teams entering Friday’s contest, most notably earning two-game sweeps over the Towson University Tigers and the conference-leading University of Delaware Blue Hens. The Pride improved their overall record to 15-22 on the season, while the Wildcats fell to 22-18.
“I thought today was a really awesome win for our team,” said Hofstra head coach Adrienne Clark. “Such a team win from top to bottom. The lineup, the pitching staff, and the defense.”
After being held hitless through the first five frames, the Pride exploded for a four-run sixth inning that saw nine hitters come to the plate. It ended up being a pinch-hit two-run home run off the bat of fifth-year outfielder Madison McKevitt that propelled the Pride to victory in the tightly contested pitchers’ duel. The blast marked the first of the season for McKevitt and instantly doubled her RBI total for the year.
“McKevitt has been working really hard offensively, and she’s got so much raw power in that swing,” Clark said. “As a coach, today I looked really good in that decision to pinch-hit her.”
Although the offense stole the show in the sixth, the combined pitching efforts of Anna Butler, Annabella Pisapia and Nikki Mullin held the potent Villanova offense to one run on eight combined hits in the win. Butler opened the day by allowing one run on five hits in her first start of the season, posting a season-high 56 pitches. In relief, Pisapia and Mullin held the Wildcats scoreless across three innings of work, with Mullin slamming the door in the seventh inning for her second save of the season.
“We keep putting the emphasis on the fact that it’s going to take all our pitchers to win,” Clark said. “It throws hitters off tremendously because they struggle to get on time when we make another switch.”
As Hofstra continues their CAA schedule this weekend with a three-game series against the last-place Hampton Pirates, Clarke is hopeful that the magnitude of Thursday’s win will help the Pride attack conference play with a new mindset.
“I think that the momentum that we were able to generate today allows us to know we’re never out of a game, Clark added.” Hofstra currently sits right in the middle of the conference with a 7-5 record, three games out of first place with 12 CAA games left to play.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Stephen Gorchov
