Hempstead, N.Y. - Junior pitcher Olivia Galati threw  3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief in the opener and limited UConn to two hits in a complete-game five-inning shutout to help the Hofstra softball team split a Sunday pair of games, falling to Maine, 3-2, before defeating the Huskies, 8-0, to capture the Hofstra Invitational Tournament championship.

Hofstra won three of the four games in the weekend tournament, knocking off UConn twice and splitting with Maine to pick up six of a possible eight points. Junior outfielder Tessa Ziemba drove in two runs as part of a three-run Hofstra first against UConn and senior catcher Courtney Crews drove in a run and scored once to improve Hofstra to 5-12 overall.

Galati picked up two wins and a save in Hofstra's three victories. She notched her second consecutive complete-game shutout by striking out seven compared to one walk versus UConn. In the tournament, she tossed 19 scoreless innings, striking out 31 (including a career-high 18 strikeouts in a nine-inning effort on Saturday against Maine).

Hofstra supported Galati with three quick runs against UConn's Ali Adelman. Ziemba lined a two-run single up the middle to score Crews and Galati. Krista Thorn's infield RBI single brought home freshman Erin Trippi for the 3-0 first-inning edge.

In the second, the Pride tacked on two more runs. Rachael Senatore and Becca Bigler registered back-to-back singles, chasing Adelman for Lauren Duggan.  Duggan then gave up a single to the first batter she faced in Galati before Marissa Guches' wild throw in from right field sailed up the third base line to score Senatore. Crews tacked on a sacrifice fly to build a 5-0 advantage.

Hofstra scored again in the fourth on sophomore Ashley Ainbinder's pinch-hit single to left, plating Senatore to the 6-0 lead. Senatore finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored. The Pride ended the game on a run-rule by scoring twice in the bottom of the fifth for the eight-run win.

Galati improved to 4-5 while Adelman dropped to 0-2. Four players recorded multi-hit games for the Pride, including Thorn, Senatore, Bigler (2-for-4) and sophomore second baseman Tori Rocha (2-for-3). In all, the Pride out-hit the Huskies, 12-2.

In the opener, Maine's three-run third inning proved to be the difference. The Black Bears worked a leadoff walk and produced a single against senior starter Erin Wade to put two on. Dagmar Ralphs opened the scoring with a RBI single through the box. For the next batter, Jennifer Eberhardt hit a run-scoring double and EmJ Fogel lifted a sacrifice fly.

Galati entered in relief at that point and escaped further trouble by inducing a lineout. She then pitched three scoreless innings to allow the Pride a comeback opportunity.

Hofstra nearly took advantage ,scoring twice in the fifth off Maine's Kylie Sparks. Trippi, who picked up the game-winning RBI in her first collegiate home game on Saturday, added her fifth RBI of the season, scoring Crews on a double.

Junior D.J. Slugh blasted a RBI double to left to score Trippi and make it a one-run game. Hofstra put the potential tying run on base in the seventh before Sparks recorded a pop out to secure the win and improve to  2-6. Sparks allowed three hits, two runs (one earned) in the complete-game effort. Wade fell to 1-7, giving up five runs (three earned) while striking out two in 2 2/3 innings.

UConn (6-9) took second place in the tournament by virtue of two wins and four points. Maine went 1-3 in the tournament, leaving Hofstra's campus with a 5-18 overall record.

Hofstra will open Colonial Athletic Association play with a three-game series at Georgia State starting with a doubleheader on Saturday at noon. The Pride and Panthers were selected as co-favorites in the preseason poll entering the campaign.