Junior pitcher Kayleigh Lotti (South Attleboro, MA - pictured) threw a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts in the opener, and senior Courtney Oliver (Swansea, MA) celebrated Senior Day with four RBI on the day and the pitching win in the nightcap as Hofstra swept a doubleheader from George Mason 4-0 and 9-1 in five innings.
Hofstra extends its winning streak to 13 games and improves to 38-10 overall and 17-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association, clinching the regular season conference title and the right to host the CAA Tournament next weekend. It marks the 17th year in a row that Hofstra has won either a regular season or a postseason conference title, while it will also play at home next week as it tries to extend its NCAA record of 10 straight conference tournament titles. The wins also gave the three members of the Pride's senior class 159 victories in their careers, tying them for the winningest class in school history.
The shutout in the opener was Hofstra's seventh in its first seven home conference games, and its 20th as a team this season. The Pride also allowed just one unearned run on the day, to extend its streak without allowing an earned run to 64 innings. Lotti extended her personal shutout streak to 36 innings, while Oliver had hers snapped at 23 innings on the unearned run in the nightcap. The Pride came into the day ranked fifth in the nation in team ERA (1.07).
Sophomore first baseman Michele DePasquale (Waterford, NJ) extended her school-record hitting streak to 25 games in the opener, but went 0-for-3 in the nightcap to see the streak end. The old school record had been 18, set by All-American Crystal Boyd in 1992. The streak ended in part due to some bad luck as she ripped a line drive in the first inning that hit pitcher Whitney Bullins in the leg but bounced all the way over to first base, where Ashli Breau was just able to beat her to the bag. DePasquale then struck out in her second plate appearance, her first strikeout since March 30 against Towson (a span of 70 at-bats), hit a comebacker to lead off the fourth and ended the game in the on-deck circle as Oliver's RBI single enforced the eight-run rule.
In the opener, Lotti struck out 12 batters, walked none and pitched to one batter over the minimum to get the win, her ninth shutout in 13 conference starts this year. She retired the first nine batters she faced, before Shaniqua Steele reached on a slap single to shortstop to lead off the fourth, ending a streak of 25 straight retired batters by Lotti dating back to last weekend at Delaware. Steele moved to second on a sacrifice and went to third on a wild pitch, but Lotti struck out the next two batters to escape her only jam. Shortstop Kelsey Mack also reached on a single up the middle in the seventh for the Patriots' second hit, but was wiped out by a double play from the next batter.
Hofstra scored in the top of the first inning, as junior center fielder Erika Bernstein (Somerville, NJ) beat out a one-out infield single. One out later, Depasquale singled through the right side, with Bernstein moving to third on the play. Senior shortstop Pam Dreslinski (Kingsville, OH) then hit a chopper to shortstop that was mishandled for an error, allowing Bernstein to come home with the first run.
The Pride tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the third inning. Senior designated player Courtney Oliver ripped a double off the right-center field wall to score freshman second baseman Trisha Dreslinski (Kingsville, OH), who began the inning by reaching on an error. DePasquale then followed with a line drive single up the middle to score Bernstein, who reached on a bunt single.
Oliver added her second RBI of the game when she ripped a single to left field in the fourth inning, scoring sophomore right fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, PA), who had been hit by a pitch. Root added a stolen base, extending her single-season record to 25 swipes on the year, and moved to third on a wild pitch.
Bernstein finished the opener 3-for-3 with two runs scored for the Pride, while DePasquale was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Oliver was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In the nightcap, Hofstra got out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI groundout in the first inning from Oliver, her third RBI of the day. Junior second baseman Casey Fee (Long Beach, NY) led off with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a Bernstein groundout.
Hofstra tacked on three more runs in the second inning, as freshman designated player Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, PA) ripped a double to score Pam Dreslinski, who led off with a single. Junior left fielder Melissa Hodge (Hamilton, NJ), came home on a wild pitch, and Fee added an RBI single.
George Mason scored the first run by a CAA opponent at Hofstra Softball Stadium this season (in 49 innings) in the bottom of the fourth, as catcher Ciera Jones scored on a bases-loaded error with one out after walking and moving to third on a double from Breau. Oliver got out of further damage with a strikeout and a foul out to right field. Hofstra then got the run back in the bottom half on four straight two-out singles, the last from Bernstein, which scored Michalowski, making the score 5-1.
The Pride then strung together four runs in the bottom of the fifth after DePasquale led off with an out. Michalowski had an RBI single to cap off a 3-for-3, two-RBI performance, and Oliver drove in her second run of the game and the fourth of the doubleheader with two outs and the bases loaded.
Oliver allowed two hits and no earned runs in five innings, while striking out seven to improve her record to 10-1 on the year, including 5-0 in conference games.
The two teams will conclude their three-game series in the regular season finale tomorrow afternoon, beginning at 12 noon.
