After another doubleheader sweep, the Hofstra Pride softball team still remains winless through its first seven games. Head coach Adrienne Clark’s team lost the first two games of the University of Georgia Classic on Friday, Feb. 24, the first game to the Bisons of Lipscomb University and the second one against the host No. 17 Georgia Bulldogs.
Hofstra is now 0-7 on the season. The Pride lost its first five games of the season at the University of Houston Classic the previous weekend. Georgia is 8-4 on the season, while Lipscomb is 3-5.
Game one at Jack Turner Stadium in Athens, Georgia finished by a score of 3-1 in favor of Lipscomb. The Bisons didn’t take long to score first. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, Kamrie Rich hit a pitch from Hofstra starting pitcher Julia Apsel to right center field for a double, which scored Presley Leebrick to make it 1-0 Lipscomb.
Lipscomb added two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Kaylyn Belfield began the attack for the Bisons by hitting a single into left field. She then stole second base before Apsel issued a walk to Elise Shewmaker. Leebrick hit a double down the right-field line that scored Belfield, making it 2-0 in favor of Lipscomb. After Apsel was relieved by Emma Brennan, Shewmaker scored on a groundout by Rich.
Hofstra finally was able to get on the board in the top of the sixth inning. Chelsea Manto started the inning with a bunt single and got moved up on a sacrifice fly by Kasey Collins. Manto then scored on a single hit to center field by Meghan Giordano. Despite Giordano advancing to second on a groundout, that was all the Pride came away with in the inning.
Lipscomb pitcher Emily Yakubowski sealed her third win of the season, after going 5.2 innings for the Bisons, striking out five Hofstra hitters. Apsel was handed her second of the season after going only two innings and giving up three runs, two of them earned. Laine Barefoot secured her second save of the season.
Game two was more of a fight than Georgia expected. It took four innings for the Bulldogs to score, but when they broke through, they did a ton of damage. It started with a walk to Jayda Kearney and a double to center field by Lyndi Rae Davis. Sydney Kuma then gave the Bulldogs the lead on a single up the middle that scored Kearney. Davis scored to double the lead on a fielder’s choice that pinch-hitter Jaiden Fields reached on. After Ally Kurland hit a double that Fields reached third on, Ellie Armistead hit a bunt single that scored a run. It became 4-0 ‘Dawgs with Dallis Goodnight’s sacrifice fly to center field.
The Pride got close to tying the game in the top of the sixth inning. Becca Vaillancourt reached on a walk issued by Shelby Walters. Angelina Ioppolo hit a two-out single followed, which was then followed by Walters hitting Kayla Wilson with a pitch. The tying run came to the plate in the form of Anna Butler. However, the pressure was not enough for Hofstra, as Walters struck Butler out looking.
Georgia scored four more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, which invoked the mercy rule. The final score resulted in a Georgia win of 8-0.
Walters was sensational for the Bulldogs, going the complete game and striking out only one batter. Haley Venturini was dealt her second loss of the season for the Pride.
Hitting and scoring have been major problems for the Pride so far this season. In seven games, the Pride have only 40 hits and have only scored nine runs on the season. Hofstra has also been shut out in four games this season and has had only two games with more than five hits.
The Pride returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 25 with another doubleheader. Game one from Jack Turner Stadium will be against Georgia at 3 p.m. Game two begins at 5:30 p.m. against Lipscomb.
Photo Courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Sidney Chansamone
