Wilmington, N.C. - Senior first baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, Pa.) had two home runs, including a grand slam, in an 11-0 win in the opening game, and added a tie-breaking two-run homer in the fifth of a 3-1 win in the nightcap as the Hofstra Softball team swept UNC Wilmington on Saturday afternoon at Bozeman Field.
The two wins gave Head Coach Bill Edwards 800 in his career (800-374-3), making him one of 21 active Division I coaches with 800 victories. Hofstra improves to 34-11 on the year with the sweep, including 15-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. UNC Wilmington slips to 11-41 and 3-14 in league play.
Senior third baseman Krista Thorn (Smithtown, N.Y.) added a grand slam of her own in the opener as Hofstra earned the 11-0, five-inning win behind a one-hitter from sophomore pitcher Olivia Galati (West Babylon, N.Y.). Sophomore right fielder Tessa Ziemba (Wilmington, Del.) hit a solo homer in the nightcap in the 3-1 win.
In the opening game, Michalowski got the Hofstra bats started right away with a grand slam in the first inning. Sophomore center fielder Rachael Senatore (Sparta, N.J.) started the inning with a chopped single over third base, and then stole second. Junior designated player Michelle Lavagnino (Fredericksburg, Va.) and junior second baseman Jess Hirschbuhl (Jamison, Pa.) followed with walks to loaded the bases. Michalowski then lined a shot to straightaway center on a 2-2 pitch that carried over the fence for her 10th home run of the year.
Michalowski then added another homer to her total when she led off the third inning with a solo shot to stretch the lead to 5-0. Hofstra added another run later in the inning on a two-out RBI double from Thorn.
Thorn then matched Michalowski's five-RBI total with a grand slam of her own in the fourth, her first-career home run. Ziemba added an RBI single in the inning to put the Pride up 7-0, before Thorn's grand slam stretched it to 11-0 and enforced the eight-run rule.
Galati nearly came away with an abbreviated perfect game, but UNCW catcher Ashley Shingleton broke it up with a triple with two outs in the fourth. Shingleton's liner was nearly pulled in by Hofstra left fielder D.J. Slugh (Marlboro, N.J.), but as she dove to her right, the ball hit off her glove and rolled into the corner.
Galati retired the next batter, Alllison Lanouette, on a routine grounder to second and finished off a one-hitter with six strikeouts and no walks with a 1-2-3 fifth. She improves to 24-7 on the year with the win, two shy of the school record for wins in a season which she tied last year, matching the standard set by Stacy Jackson (twice) and Jen Smith.
In the nightcap, Hofstra's bats were unable to get the big hit in the early going, as the Pride left the bases loaded in the second, stranded a runner on second in the third (on a sliding catch by right fielder Brianna Lofton off the bat of Ziemba with two outs), and then left two on base in the fourth.
Michalowski, though, got the Pride on the board with a two-run shot to right-center in the fifth, her third round-tripper of the day. Ziemba then followed with a solo shot to center, her seventh of the season, and the third time in the last two weeks that she has gone back-to-back with Michalowski.
UNC Wilmington got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a two-out RBI single from Caitlin Cavarra to trim Hofstra's lead to 3-1. Galati was called on in relief of starter Erin Wade (Taunton, Mass.) with runners on second and third, and got a routine grounder to second base to end the threat.
Galati struck out three batters in the sixth around a pair of singles, and then allowed a two-out single in the seventh before ending the game with a change-up that was softly lined to Hirschbuhl at second base.
Michalowski's three homers give her 12 this season, all of which have come in the last 17 games (including 10 in conference games). She also now has 31 RBI this season in the CAA alone (16 games), and 44 total RBI on the year, which is tied for the fifth-highest single-season total in school history. In addition, she has tallied eight RBI in one conference doubleheader (vs. James Madison), seven RBI in another conference doubleheader (vs. UNC Wilmington) and six RBI in a third conference doubleheader (vs. Delaware), in addition to a two-homer, four-RBI game against George Mason.
Wade picked up her tenth win of the season (10-4), allowing four hits in 4.2 innings, striking out five and walking one. Galati struck out four in 2.1 innings of relief to get her third save of the year.
The two teams complete their three-game series with a single game tomorrow at 12 noon.
