The Hofstra softball team began the second day of the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational falling to No. 3 Oklahoma University Sooners in five innings with a final score of 17-3. In the second game of their double header the Pride fell to No. 20 Oklahoma State University, 13-2. 

Mackenzie Suto got the start in the circle for the Pride for game one. The Sooners bats quickly came alive as their second hitter Jocelyn Alo hit a two-run blast over the center-field wall to give Oklahoma the early lead. 

Two batters later, cleanup hitter Grace Green added two more runs on the board with a two-run shot to center field. 

The Pride entered the bottom of the first inning down by four runs. The Pride would quickly come back, as freshman cleanup hitter Meghan Giordano hit a three-run homer over the center-field wall, scoring Kristin Hallam and Lydia Witkowski. Giordano’s first collegiate career home run put the Pride within striking distance as they entered the second inning down by only one run.

Hofstra head coach Jay Miller put Alexis Goeke in the circle to face the bottom half of the Sooners order in the second inning. Alo would again become an offensive threat against the Pride, as she ripped a two-run single up the middle to give the Sooners a 6-3 lead. 

The Sooners offense would continue to dominate in the second inning as they scored 11 runs on seven hits to break open the game 15-3. Oklahoma had three more home runs in the second inning, including a grand slam from Grace Lyons to left field, followed by back-to-back solo home runs.  

Hofstra had a quick bottom of the second inning and was right back on the field. This time, senior Courtney Scarpato was given the ball, hoping to shut down the Sooners offense. 

Scarpato would keep the Sooners off the score sheet until the top of the fifth inning, where the Sooners would add two more runs onto their already extensive lead. 

The Pride would get run-ruled in the fifth inning and started the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational 0-2. 

In their second game of the day, the Pride looked to bounce back following their loss to Oklahoma.

Giordano would step up big again, as she put the Pride on the score sheet in the bottom of the first. Giordano hit a double to right-center field to score Scarpato and Hallam.  

Madison Burns entered the circle in the top of the second with hopes of the holding onto Hofstra’s narrow lead.  

The Pride would hold on to the 2-0 lead until the top of the fourth inning, when Oklahoma State’s bats came to life. The Cowboys scored six runs on six hits, to take a four-run lead over the Pride. 

In the fifth inning, Scarpato moved from second base to the circle to take over for Burns. 

Scarpato kept the Cowboys off the board, until the top of the sixth inning. Madi Sue Montgomery singled up the middle, to score Rylee Bayless and Lauren Heintzelman, extending the Cowboys’ lead to 8-2.

The Cowboys tacked on five more runs in the top of the sixth to take a 13-2 lead. 

The Pride was unable to add on any more runs as they fell to Oklahoma State with a final score of 13-2.

Hofstra will close out the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational against Utah on Sunday, Feb. 17. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. 
Photo courtesy of Mike Carlson Photography