Columbus, GA – Senior first baseman Michele DePasquale (Waterford, NJ) was 2-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI double as the Hofstra Softball team prevailed with a 2-1 win over Mississippi State on the first day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic at South Commons Field in Columbus, Georgia.
Freshman pitcher Olivia Galati (West Babylon, NY) allowed nine hits, one less than she allowed in her first three wins combined, but was able to maneuver her way out of trouble the entire game as she improved to 4-0 on the year (with wins over North Carolina State, Michigan State, South Florida and Mississippi State). Galati allowed only one walk and struck out eight, including the final out of the game with the tying run on third.
The Pride moves to 7-0 on the season (with five of the wins coming by one run), improving on its best start since the 1994 team began the year 9-0. Hofstra already has wins over five BCS conference schools, two from the ACC (Virginia Tech, North Carolina State), one from the SEC (Mississippi State), one from the Big East (South Florida) and one from the Big 10 (Michigan State). Mississippi State falls to 7-4 on the year with the loss.
Hofstra got off to a 1-0 lead with a quick run in the top of the first inning. DePasquale singled with one out and moved to second on a single from junior third baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, PA). Both players advanced on a groundout, and a wild pitch allowed DePasquale to score from third with the game's first run.
Mississippi State nearly got the equalizer in the bottom half of the first with three singles, the third coming from right fielder Brittany Bell with two outs. Designated player Allie Heon attempted to score from second, but Hofstra junior shortstop Trisha Dreslinski (Kingsville, OH) threw her out at the plate for the final out of the inning.
The Pride missed out on a golden chance in the top of the third inning, as DePasquale was hit by a pitch and Michalowski walked before both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch to put runners on second and third with nobody out. Mississippi State starter Kylie Vry bounced back with a strikeout, though, and Galati followed with a grounder to second base. The Bulldogs' Ali Bainbridge threw home for the second out, and Galati was caught trying to go to second base on the play to end the threat.
In the fourth, the Pride had some bad luck as it went down in order on three straight line-outs. Sophomore catcher Courtney Crews (Stafford, VA) and sophomore second baseman Jess Hirschbuhl started out with back-to-back line-outs to first, and Dreslinski followed with a line-out to shortstop.
Hofstra stretched the lead to 2-0 in the top of the fifth inning as DePasquale hit an RBI double to right field to score senior center fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, PA). DePasquale was thrown out at third trying to stretch it into a triple, though, and Mississippi State was able to manufacture a run in the bottom of the fifth to get the run back and pull within 2-1. All-American catcher (and USA National Team player) Chelsea Bramlett led off with a bunt single, stole second, went to third on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on a single from Bainbridge.
The Pride again threatened in the sixth as Galati and Crews had back-to-back singles with one out, and Dreslinski walked with two outs to load the bases. Vry was able to escape the jam, though, when she got freshman Tessa Ziemba (Wilmington, DE) to fly out to right-center.
Galati allowed her first walk of the game in the seventh, allowing Bramlett to reach first with one out. Bramlett then stole second and advanced to third on a groundout, but Galati struck out Bainbridge swinging for her eighth strikeout to end the game and improve to 4-0 in the circle.
Through four games, Galati has tallied 32 strikeouts and only four walks on her way to a 4-0 start. She began her career last week with a four-hitter with 11 strikeouts and no walks against North Carolina State, a three-hitter with eight strikeouts and no walks against Michigan State, and a three-hitter with five strikeouts and three walks against South Florida. At the plate, she also has now had at least one hit in six straight games to start her career, following her sixth-inning single.
The Pride will be back in action tomorrow on the second day of the Leadoff Classic with a 1:30 game against Kent State (which shut out Auburn earlier on Friday on an eight-inning no-hitter from pitcher Kylie Reynolds) and a 6:30 game against nationally ranked Florida State (No. 22 in NFCA poll).
