Sophomore right fielder Tessa Ziemba (Wilmington, Del./St. Mark's) had a two-run single with two outs in the seventh to break a 1-1 tie and give the Hofstra Softball team a 3-1 win over Drexel in the first game of its Colonial Athletic Association opening doubleheader on Saturday afternoon.

Ziemba was 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI in the nightcap as Hofstra completed the sweep with a 6-3 win in the second game, Hofstra improves to 16-8 overall and 2-0 in the CAA with the wins, while Drexel falls to 7-12 and 0-2 with the losses.

In the opening game, the score was tied 1-1 going into the top of the seventh. Senior catcher Laura Valentino (Smithtown, N.Y.) led off with an infield single in the 5-6 hole. Senior shortstop Trisha Dreslinski (Kingsville, Ohio), who had hit a solo homer in her previous at bat, followed with a soft liner into shallow left to put two runners on and nobody out.

Hofstra then used an error to load the bases with one out, before Drexel pitcher Hillary Allen bounced back with a strikeout. She had an 0-2 count to Ziemba, who took two outside pitches to even the count, and then fought off an Allen change-up the other way for a two-run single to give Hofstra a 3-1 lead.

Sophomore pitcher Olivia Galati (West Babylon, N.Y.) then retired the side in the order in the bottom of the seventh, getting the final out by strikeout, her 10th of the game. She allowed three hits and walked none,  while picking up her 10th win of the year (10-5).

Drexel struck first with two outs in the fourth, as catcher Paige Collings hit a line drive home run that just barely cleared the 205-foot sign to straightaway center field. Collings had also nearly given Drexel a first-inning lead with a line drive single up the middle, but Hofstra center fielder Rachael Senatore (Sparta, N.J.) gunned out the runner at the plate.

Trailing 1-0, Hofstra immediately got back even as Dreslinski homered to left-center to lead off the fifth, her second homer of the season and fourth of her career.

Dreslinski finished 2-for-3 with two runs scored for Hofstra, while Collings had two of Drexel's three hits.

In the second game, Hofstra got off to a quick 2-0 lead in the first as Ziemba doubled the other way to score Senatore, who led off with a walk. Senior first baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, Pa.) then added a line-drive RBI double to right to plate Ziemba with the second run.

Hirschbuhl led off the third inning with a double and moved to third on a bunt single from Michalowski before coming home on a fielder's choice, stretching the lead to 3-0. A Ziemba RBI single in the sixth extended the margin to 4-0, plating junior left fielder Michelle Lavagnino (Fredericksburg, Va.) who led off with a single. Valentino added an RBI single with two outs to make the score 5-0.

Drexel didn't go quietly, though, as Collings hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth with two outs. Dreslinski made a strong defensive play deep in the hole at short on Allen, who came on to pinch hit, to prevent any further damage, and Hofstra scored another run in the top of the seventh as Dreslinski walked, Lavagnino singled, and Drexel committed an error as Lavagnino stole second to allow Dreslinski to score.

Galati came on in relief to retire the side in order to get the save, her second save of the year. She struck out two batters in the inning, improving to 12 strikeouts and no walks on the day, and 68 strikeouts and no walks in the last three weeks (since her last walk on March 6 against Pittsburgh). Junior Erin Wade (Taunton, Mass.) threw the first six innings to get the win and improve to 6-3 on the year, allowing only one hit through the first five frames before Collings' three-run homer broke up her shutout bid.

Michalowski was 3-for-3 with a walk and an RBI in the nightcap for the Pride, while Lavagnino was 2-for-2 with a stolen base off the bench.

The two teams will complete their three-game series with a single game tomorrow at 12 noon.