Hempstead, NY - Junior designated player Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, PA) hit a walk-off homer to lead off the bottom of the seventh inning as Hofstra captured a 2-1 win over Boston University on Sunday at the Hofstra Invitational.
In the second game of the day against Connecticut, junior pitcher Erin Wade (Taunton, MA) threw a two-hitter as the Pride earned a 5-1 win. Hofstra moves to 13-4 with the two wins, while Boston University's record levels at 10-10, and UConn falls to 6-14. Boston University earned the championship of the Hofstra Invitational, as both the Terriers and Hofstra went 3-1, split against each other head-to-head, and allowed 11 runs in the four games, but Boston University had a greater run differential (25-11 vs. 14-11).
Against Boston University, Michalowski led off the seventh with a line drive that carried straight over the center field wall, her second game-winning homer in the seventh inning this season (the first was in a 1-0 win over Kent State). Michalowski's homer ended a strong pitcher's duel between Hofstra freshman Olivia Galati (West Babylon, NY) and Boston University senior Cassidi Hardy, both of whom came into the game with 6-2 records on the year. Galati finished with a four-hitter with 13 strikeouts and one walk, while Hardi threw a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts and one walk.
Hofstra trailed 1-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning, until senior first baseman Michele DePasquale (Waterford, NJ) lined an RBI double to left field with nobody out to score Galati (who struck out but reached on a wild pitch) all the way from first. DePasquale went to third on the throw to the plate and was replaced by pinch-runner Michelle Lavagnino (Fredericksburg, VA), but Hardi got out of the jam with two strikeouts around a sharp liner from senior left fielder Christie Novatin (Farmingdale, NJ) that went right to Boston University shortstop Rachel Hebert, who caught the ball at her ankles to preserve the tie.
Boston University took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third inning when designated player Whitney Tuthill, who had only three at-bats all season, led off by homering over the left field wall. Tuthill was in the line-up after Boston University's regular designated player, Kelley Engman, injured her ankle trying to beat out a double play in the Terriers' 9-1 win over Connecticut earlier on Sunday.
Galati then pitched her way out of a bases-loaded, nobody-out jam in the fourth inning, retiring the final two batters by strikeout to leave the score 1-0 and give the Pride a chance to come back in the late innings. Erica Casacci and April Sutterlund started off the inning with back-to-back singles up the middle and Caitlin Rentler coaxed a walk to load the bases. After a pop-up in the infield resulted in the first out, Galati struck out the next two batters, getting Tuthill swinging to end the inning.
Hardy took a no-hitter into the fifth inning before junior catcher Laura Valentino (Smithtown, NY) doubled off the wall in center with one out. Hardy bounced back with a strikeout, and Hebert made a solid defensive play to scoop up a hard bunt from senior center fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, PA) and nip her at first base to end the inning.
Setterlund led off the sixth inning with a fly ball into left-center that tailed into the gap, tipping off the glove of a lunging Root for a double. However, Galati retired the next three batters in order on two fly balls and her 10th strikeout of the game to keep the Pride within one run.
In the seventh, Galati struck out the side in order in the top half to stretch her strikeout total to a career-high 13, before Michalowski's homer ended the game. Setterlund (2-for-3) was the only player for either team with more than one hit.
In the second game of the day against Connecticut, Wade threw a two-hitter, striking out one, walking two, and as the Pride earned a 5-1 win. Freshman right fielder Tessa Ziemba (Wilmington, DE) led off the second inning with a solo home run to stake the Pride to an early 1-0 lead. The Pride tacked on a second run later in the inning as Root put down a bunt single with two outs, and the throw from third baseman Amy DeLuca eluded second baseman Julianne Towers and rolled up the first base line, allowing Valentino to score all the way from first.
UConn got a run back in the bottom of the fifth inning as shortstop Jessica Arremony led off with a bloop single off the end of the bat behind first base and went to third base on two wild pitches. Catcher Amanda Martin coaxed a walk and moved to second on a sacrifice to put runners on second and third and one out. Second baseman Julianne Towers then ripped a line drive to deep center field, and Root made a spectacular leaping over-the-shoulder catch at the front of the warning track with her back to home plate. Arremony scored on the sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1, but Martin had to stay on second, and Wade coaxed a groundout to get out of the inning with a lead still intact.
The Pride then got the run right back in the top of the sixth and added two more as it took a 5-1 lead. Novatin led off with a single to left and Ziemba followed with a grounder to short on a hit-and-run. Arremony tried to get the force at second, but Novatin beat her to the bag to put runners on first and second. Michalowski then lined a single back up the middle to score Novatin and put the Pride back up by two. Pinch hitter Stefanie Feinstein (West Chester, PA) drew a walk to load the bases and Root ripped a two-run single into right field to stretch the lead to 5-1.
Hofstra missed a chance for more with runners on first and second and one out, as Galati ripped a ball into the left-center field gap. UConn center fielder Amy Ward laid out to try to make a diving catch, but the ball hit off her glove on the way down. Junior shortstop Trisha Dreslinski (Kingsville, OH) lost sight of the ball and thought it was caught, turning to sprint back towards second base. Root, meanwhile, saw the ball pop out and rounded second trying to go to third and passed Dreslinski on the bases, resulting in an automatic out.
DePasquale, Root, Hirschbuhl, and Michalowski each had two hits for the Pride at the plate in the nightcap, as Hofstra tallied 11 hits as a team.
Hofstra will next be in action when it travels to St. John's on Wednesday for a 3 p.m. contest, before returning home on Thursday to face LIU at 4 p.m.
