Left fielder Lindsey Cameron hit a walk-off three run home run with nobody out in the bottom of the seventh as the Florida softball team completed a doubleheader sweep of Hofstra with a 6-3 win in the nightcap Wednesday evening. The Gators also won the opening game, 7-3, rallying for six runs in the bottom of the fifth after trailing 3-1.
With the sweep, Florida improves its record to 9-5 on the season, including a win over defending national champion Michigan over the weekend. The Pride falls to 5-3, although it has had a two-run lead in the fifth inning or later in all three of its losses.
With the score tied 3-3, Florida started off the bottom of the seventh inning rally when shortstop Stacie Pestrak led off with a walk. A bunt single from right fielder Kim Waleszonia put runners on first and second, and Cameron followed with a homer to center field on the first pitch, giving the Gators the 6-3 win.
Hofstra took a 2-0 lead in the first inning of the nightcap when sophomore center fielder Pam Dreslinski (Kingsville, OH) hit a bases-loaded RBI single with two outs to drive home the first run, while a second run came home when the Gators made an error in the field. The 2-0 lead held until the bottom of the fifth inning when third baseman Brooke Johnson hit a two-run double off of Pride starting pitcher Courtney Oliver (Swansea, MA).
Senior pitcher Amy Belonick (Terryville, CT) came on in relief and got the Pride out of the jam. Hofstra then took the lead back with a single run in the top of the sixth. Senior third baseman Tara Ulrich (West Nyack, NY) and sophomore first baseman Genevieve Haney (Levittown, PA) each hit singles around an Oliver walk to load the bases with one out. Relief pitcher Lindsay Littlejohn got a strikeout for the second out, but freshman left fielder Erika Bernstein (Somerville, NJ) coaxed a walk with a full count to drive home pinch runner Melissa Hodge (Hamilton, NJ) and put Hofstra ahead, 3-2.
However, the Pride again couldn't hold the lead as first baseman Melissa Zick led off with a walk, was sacrificed to second, and came home on a two-out RBI single up the middle from second baseman Lindsay Norfleet to even the score at 3-3. Littlejohn then struck out the side in the top of the seventh, setting up Cameron's heroics. Littlejohn got the win in relief for the Gators, while Belonick (0-1) took the loss in relief for the Pride.
In the opening game, Florida took a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning when Waleszonia led off with a solo homer, Hofstra answered with single runs in the second, third and fifth to forge ahead 3-1. Haney knotted the score up with a two-out RBI double to left field in the top of the second inning, and sophomore designated player Courtney Oliver (Swansea, MA) singled through the left side with two outs in the third inning to give the Pride its first lead at 2-1.
Senior second baseman Lisa Wambold (Hatboro, PA - pictured) then extended the lead to 3-1 when she led off the top of the fifth inning with a solo homer down the left field line. The home run was the 21st of her career at Hofstra, moving her into a tie for fourth place on the school's all-time list with Danielle Stewart '03.
However, Florida had the answer when it scored six times after having one runner on base and two outs. Cameron hit an RBI double to pull the Gators within 3-2, and catcher Kristen Butler followed with a home run to straightaway center to give Florida the lead at 4-3. After a single and an error put two runners on, center fielder Lacy Howard homered down the left field line to give Florida a 7-3 lead.
Freshman pitcher Kayleigh Lotti (South Attleboro, MA) took the loss for Hofstra, allowing nine hits and four earned runs in five innings to slip to 2-2 on the season. Stacey Nelson earned the win for the Gators to improve to 4-1.
Hofstra will next be in action when it travels to the NFCA Leadoff Classic in Columbus, Georgia, to take on defending national champion Michigan on Friday at 5 p.m. That game will take place simultaneously with the Hofstra Women's Lacrosse team's home game against defending national champion Northwestern on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Shuart Stadium.
