Hempstead, N.Y.  - Shortstop Becca Bigler drove in three runs to support fellow junior Olivia Galati's complete-game effort in the first game as Hofstra played Lehigh to a doubleheader split, taking the first game, 10-1 before losing Game 2, 7-6, in eight innings on Wednesday at Hofstra Softball Stadium.

The Pride won on a run rule for the second consecutive game and seventh time this season, scoring five runs in the second and four in the third to win Game 1 in six innings. Hofstra extended its winning streak to 17 games overall before seeing the streak snapped in the nightcap, falling to 21-13 overall. With the split, Lehigh moved to 25-15.

A matchup of two first-place teams lived up to its billing in the second game, but Galati again showed the command that led to her selection as the NFCA Division I Player of the Week on Monday. The West Babylon, N.Y. native struck out eight without walking a batter, giving up just five hits and a run to win her 13^th consecutive start. Galati (15-5) registered her third straight complete game in lowering her ERA to 1.40. She also drove in two runs in going 2-for-3, giving her almost as many RBIs (21) as earned runs this season (28 in 140 innings).

Hofstra pounded out 14 hits against the Patriot League-leading Mountain Hawks. The Pride batted around against Lehigh starter Rebecca Bliss in the second inning. Seniors Krista Thorn and Michelle Lavagnino, along with junior Rachael Senatore, each had RBI base hits and Galati capped the five-run innings with a run-scoring single through the left side.

Before the rally, Bigler staked Hofstra to a 1-0 lead with a one-out solo home run to left. The marked the middle infielder's eighth home run of the season. Junior Tessa Ziemba tied Bigler for the team lead with her eighth home run in the second game.

A four-run third inning set up the run rule as Bigler and Galati smashed back-to-back doubles. Bigler drove in two runs with her hit to the left-center gap and Galati doubled home Bigler to center to lift the Pride to 17 straight wins. The streak was the longest in team history since the 2011 and 2007 squads both won 16 in a row.

In the second game, Hofstra senior Erin Wade and Lehigh ace Emily Bausher each threw four scoreless innings before both the bats erupted in the fifth. The Mountain Hawks scored four runs in the top of the inning.

A single and a fielding error put two runners on with one out for Lehigh and Jennifer Colquhoun opened the scoring with a RBI single through the right side. Cassie Waggy, who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs on the game, picked up the first two with a single up the middle and Bausher contributed at the plate as well by lofting a sacrifice fly to left for the 4-0 lead.

But Hofstra answered right back with three runs in the bottom of the inning on just two hits. Freshman Erin Trippi walked and senior Courtney Crews was hit by a pitch to put the first two runners on. Thorn, who has eight RBIs in her last four games spanning two days, drove in Trippi with a run-scoring double and junior D.J. Slugh brought home two runners with a double to the left-center gap.

Both teams scored two runs in the sixth, setting up a dramatic bottom of the seventh for Hofstra as the Pride trailed by a run. Galati lined a one-out double as Bausher's pitch count soared well past triple digits.

Sophomore Tori Rocha pinch ran for Galati and advanced to third on a ground out. With two outs, Trippi worked the count full, bringing the Pride to its last strike before pulling a clutch single to left to tie the score at 6 and move the game to extra innings.

Wade came out to pitch the eighth and Audra Wood scored on a four-base error, racing all the way home as the ball moved past the infield and into the right-center gap for the 7-6 advantage.

Hofstra was facing a pitcher in Bausher who entered with a 1.42 ERA but scored six runs on seven hits. Yet Bausher gutted out the complete-game win as the Pride mounted another rally. Freshman Lindsey Reid single to right to start the frame and advanced to second on Senatore's infield single. Fouling a foul out, Bausher induced a fly out to right to end the game, improving the hurler to 12-8.

Wade finished with a complete game, giving up seven runs (three earned) in falling to 6-8. It was the fourth straight time she logged at least six innings and her effort allowed Hofstra head coach Bill Edwards to keep Galati out of the pitching circle after she also went the distance in the opener.

With two days off, Hofstra will now gear up for a three-game Colonial Athletic  Association series at home starting with a noon doubleheader on Saturday versus George Mason.