Tallahassee, Fla. - Hofstra started the 2013 season opener with a
split in the Florida State Invitational, defeating Arkansas 8-1 before falling
to Tulsa, 9-6 in the evening on Friday at JoAnne Graf Field.
Senior Jess Hirschbuhl drilled a two-run home run and
freshman Caryn Bailey registered
three RBIs and scored a run in her collegiate debut as Hofstra posted the
victory over the Razorbacks in the morning.
Bailey notched her first career home run with a two-shot against
Tulsa for five RBIs in her first day.
Senior pitcher Olivia Galati struck out seven and gave up just four
hits in the complete-game victory. The first-team All-America selection retired
the final 12 Arkansas batters in handing the Razorbacks its first loss of the
season after a 7-0 start.
Hofstra, which entered the
contest ranked 21st by the NFCA and 25th by ESPN, surged to a fast start in the
second when Hirschbuhl hit a two-run shot to center off left-hander Kimmy
Beasley. Hirschbuhl, who playing her first game since March 4 after suffering a
season-ending injury in 2012, looked strong in her first game action in nearly
a year. After switching to third base this season to replace the graduate Krista Thorn, Hirschbuhl batted sixth.
Senior shortstop Becca Bigler started
the inning with a single to center and scored on the home run. Bigler finished
1-for-2 with a RBI and a run scored.
Arkansas cut the deficit in half
in the top of the third when Devon Wallace pulled a solo shot down the right
field line. A single to center by the next batter marked Arkansas' fourth hit
in three innings, though Galati did not allow another in notching the 90th
victory of her career.
Back-to-back singles by freshman Chloe Fitzgerald and Galati started the third.
Fitzgerald's single was the first of her collegiate career. A walk to
sophomore Erin Trippi loaded
the bases and Bigler brought in another run with a base on balls. A double-play
brought in the second run, extending Hofstra's lead to 4-1.
The Pride tacked on four
additional insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth with Bailey's three-run
double to left doing most of the damage. Galati, Trippi and Bigler also reached
base to start the inning and, following back-to-back strikeouts, Bailey gave
the huge two-out hit with the base-clearing knock to left. Bailey played right
field and batted seventh in her first NCAA contest.
In the second game, Tulsa fired the opening salvo with a
first-inning run and scored twice in both the third and fourth innings to pull
away. Haley Henshaw's RBI single through the right side opened the scoring for
Golden Hurricane.
Sophomore Bella Corrao took the loss in Hofstra debut. The
Virginia Tech transfer was charged with 13 hits and nine runs (seven earned) in
4 2/3 innings.
In the third, Tulsa added a cushion when Samantha Cobb hit a
one-out triple and scored on a passed ball. Pinch runner Emma Horton later
scored on a sacrifice fly.
Hofstra got on the scoreboard in the fourth, capitalizing on two
errors to score twice. Tulsa pitcher Lacy Middlebrooks posted a strike out and
a fielder's choice after a fielding miscue put the leadoff batter on base.
Hirschbuhl singled to center and senior Tessa Ziemba scored on a throwing
error. Junior Tori Rocha then scored Hirschbuhl with a RBI infield single to
cut Tulsa's lead to 3-2.
The Golden Hurricane responded in the bottom of the inning with
Jill Barrett hitting a two-run; two-out single to center to re-establish the
three-run cushion.
Ziemba gave Hofstra some late life with a RBI single through the
right side in the top of the fifth to make it 5-3, though Tulsa prevented the
comeback by scoring four more run in the bottom of the sixth.
Julie Kernen hit a two-run home run for Tulsa in the inning.
Bailey continued her torrid collegiate start with a two-run shot in the bottom
of the inning as Hofstra scored three times in the sixth.
Middlebrooks earned the win, giving up one earned run in five
innings. Hofstra freshman Victoria Cabral did not allow a run in 1 1/3 innings
in her collegiate debut after coming on in relief.
Hofstra will continue the Florida State Invitational tomorrow as
the Pride will play the Seminoles at 12:15 p.m.
