Hempstead, N.Y. -
Junior pitcher Olivia Galati threw a complete game and delivered the
game-winning sacrifice fly to propel the Pride to a 3-2 victory over Long
Island University in nine innings on Wednesday at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
Galati struck out 14 against just one walk and lofted a deep
fly ball to left in the bottom of the ninth, scoring senior Michelle Lavagnino
with the winning run off Megan Sheaf to improve Hofstra to 10-12. The Pride
extended their winning streak to six. LIU fell to 9-28.
Galati improved to 8-5 in notching her 13th complete game. She
now has 104 strikeouts in 94 2/3 innings and has won her last six starts. In
her previous nine appearances, she is 6-0 with two saves. Offensively, the
pitcher/designated player has driven in six runs in the last five contests.
Hofstra jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth. LIU starter Sarah Reynolds threw three
scoreless innings but was lifted in the fourth
as part of a scheduled pitching change in the non-conference tilt. Cassie
Vondrak entered and Hofstra freshman Erin Trippi greeted her with a single up
the middle. Junior Tessa Ziemba then
lined a sharp hit to center that rolled all the way to the roll, scoring Trippi
with the RBI triple. Senior catcher Courtney Crews added a sacrifice fly to
score Ziemba, building a 2-0 lead for Galati.
That appeared to be all the support the Hofstra ace would
need before LIU mounted a two-run rally in the top of the seventh. After a leadoff single, Galati struck out
Sterling Hoham. Jazmin Rodriguez singled to put runners on the corners while
placing the tying runs on the base paths.
Sheaf, who started the game at first base before entering to
pitch in the sixth, ripped a RBI double to left field, scoring Madison
Zymkowitz while advancing Rodriguez to third. A fielding error on the next play
scored pinch runner Ariana Calderon with the tying run.
Galati rebounded from the setback, throwing a scoreless
eighth and ninth to set up the Pride's second extra-inning victory of the
campaign.
Junior shortstop Becca Bigler, who hit her team-leading
sixth home run in Hofstra's win over Iona on Tuesday, worked three walks from
the lineup's second spot. The bottom of the Pride's order produced quality
at-bats to give the offense a spark. Both seven-hitter Krista Thorn (2-for-4)
and ninth-hitting Lavagnino (2-for-4) were the two Hofstra players to register
multi-hit games. Lavagnino's leadoff hit in the ninth and subsequent run
dropped Sheaf's record to 3-6 for the Blackbirds.
Hofstra will resume Colonial Athletic Association play this
weekend with a home three-game series at Drexel. A doubleheader against the
Dragons will start Saturday at noon from the Hofstra Softball Stadium.
