NOVATIN'S HOMER GIVES PRIDE EXTRA-INNING WIN OVER FORDHAM

4/16/2009 2:00:00 PM

Bronx, NY -- Pinch hitter Christie Novatin (Farmingdale, NJ) hit a two-run home run in the eighth inning and second baseman Casey Fee (Lido Beach, NY) batted 3-4 with a run scored and an RBI to lead the Hofstra Softball team to a 4-3 victory over Fordham on Wednesday evening at Bahoshy Field in the Bronx.

With the win, the Pride improves to 20-15 on the year, while Fordham falls to 28-16 with the loss. It was the second extra-inning game in as many days for Hofstra, which fell 1-0 to Connecticut on Saturday.

After right fielder/designated player Laura Valentino (Smithtown, NY) reached base on a Fordham error in the top of the eighth, Novatin came to bat with two outs and with a 2-2 count on her she sent the pitch over the right field fence to give the Pride a 4-2 lead. Fordham scored one run in the bottom half of the inning on a solo homer from Samantha Pellecchio, but could come no closer.

Erin Wade worked the final six innings of the contest and improved to 5-5 this season. She allowed just one hit (Pellecchio's homer in th eighth) while striking out three.

The game began looking like it would be a high scoring affair, as Fee opened the game up with a single, stole second and came home on an RBI single from sophomore third baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, PA). Fordham answered in the bottom of the first on a two-run homer from Mary Beth Puccio, but Hofstra answered back in the second on Fee's RBI single.

Neither team, though, scored through the remainder of the regulation seven innings, as Wade and Fordham reliever Jen Mineau both matched zeroes.

Hofstra outhit Fordham 12-4 in the game, as Fee had three and junior outfielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, PA) had two.

The Pride will next be in action when it hosts Georgia State in a three-game series this weekend in a battle betweem the two teams tied for the lead in the CAA standings at 9-2 in league play.

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