Hempstead, N.Y. - Junior pitcher Olivia Galati set a career
high with 18 strikeouts in a complete-game shutout effort to lift Hofstra over
Maine, 1-0, in nine innings before picking up the save in an 8-2 win against
Connecticut to help the Pride post two victories on the first day of the
Hofstra Invitational on Saturday.
In the morning contest, Galati bested her previous career
high of 17 strikeouts in a game (last set in a 3-2 win over Michigan State on
March 11, 2011 that also went nine innings), fanning 18 without walking a single
batter in holding Maine to three hits. Freshman designated player Erin Trippi
lined a one-out game-winning hit to right to score junior Tessa Ziemba and propel
Hofstra to the win in its home opener.
Trippi followed that effort with three RBIs in two runs
scored against Maine to improve the Pride to 4-11 on the season. UConn beat
Maine in the third game of the day to move to 5-9 while the Black Bears dropped
to 5-18.
Galati and Maine's Ashley Kelly traded zeros through seven
innings, forcing the Pride to play extra innings for the first time since the
season-opening nine-inning game against
then-No. 21 Louisville. With the tie-breaking rules in effect, both teams
started the eighth inning with a runner on second base. Galati struck out the
first two Maine batters and retired a runner on a fly out to end the threat.
Hofstra nearly ended the game in the bottom of the eighth. Junior third baseman
Becca Bigler started the inning in scoring position and advanced to third on
Galati's sacrifice bunt. Junior Tessa Ziemba appeared to end the game in
Hofstra's favor by hitting a grounder to second. Maine's Kristen Koslosky's
threw home to try and get Bigler. After some confusion as to the safe-out call
at home plate, the umpire then ruled that Bigler was tagged out. Maine threw to
first to tag out Ziemba for the double play.
Trippi's clutch hit one inning later ensured Hofstra picked
up the win, drilling Kelly's pitch deep in the right field gap for the winner.
Kelly went 8 1/3 innings in falling to 2-7 with the complete-game loss. She allowed
seven hits, two walks and two strikeouts.
Galati outdid her counterpart, holding Maine without an
extra-base hit. The top-four of the order for the Black Bears finished a
combined 2-for-14 with eight strikeouts. Galati improved to 3-5.
Trippi followed up her first career game-winning RBI with a
sixth-inning run-scoring single through the left side to break a 1-all tie
against UConn in the second game. Bigler worked a leadoff walk and advanced to
second on senior catcher Courtney Crews' infield single. Trippi then brought in
Bigler and Hofstra tacked on two key insurance runs on pitcher Kiki Saveriano's
errant throw to first on a comebacker.
Saveriano easily gloved Tori Rocha's grounder but rushed her
throw to first, allowing Crews and Trippi to score on the miscue for a 4-1
Hofstra lead.
That would be all the support pitcher Erin Wade would need.
The senior held UConn to five hits in 5 1/3
innings, allowing just two runs (one earned) while striking out five to improve
to 1-6.
The Huskies made it 4-2 on Brittany Duclos' solo home run to
left. Galati then came into relief for Wade with Hofstra holding the two-run
lead in the save situation. Galati escaped further trouble in the inning and
retired the side in the seventh for her seventh career save and first of the
season.
Trippi's two-run double highlighted a four-run Hofstra top
of the seventh (the Pride was the designated road team for the game). Krista
Thorn added a RBI double to left as well to help Hofstra secure its second win
of the day. Bigler, Crews and Trippi all scored two runs in the contest.
The Pride will conclude the Hofstra Invitational on Sunday
with a 12:30 p.m. matchup against Maine and a 3 p.m. game versus UConn. Fans can follow the live stats by clicking here and listen through Pride Zone by clicking here.
