Fairfax, Va. -- Senior Olivia Galati threw two complete games -- including a two-hit shutout in the opener --but George Mason's Brooke Blankenship's two-run home run was the difference in Game 2 as Hofstra split a Colonial Athletic Association doubleheader with a 2-0 win in Game 1 and a 2-1 defeat in the second game on Saturday afternoon at GMU Softball Complex.

Galati (26-10) struck out 10 against just one walk in Game 1 and tallied 16 total strikeouts on the day. The West Babylon, N.Y. native allowed just two singles and only one Patriots base-runner advanced into scoring position in Hofstra's victory.

Hofstra moved to 30-11 and 11-2 in CAA play. The Pride saw their winning streak snapped at 12 in the second game. Mason improved to 15-31 and 3-11.

Freshman Caryn Bailey doubled and scored on two wild pitches in the sixth and sophomore Erin Trippi lined a RBI single through the left side in the seventh for a key insurance run to support Galati's 12th shutout of the season and her third in four starts.

Mason took the early lead in Game 2 when Blankenship hit a two-run home run to left-center for the Patriots' first runs of the game. Galati, taking the circle less than a half hour after her shutout, retired the first two batters before Megan Blank singled. Blankenship then hit her fifth home run, marking the first long ball Galati had allowed in six appearances and 29 2/3 innings.

Hofstra's offense struggled against Christina Gabriele in the early going with the Pride getting just three hits through the first four innings. But the Pride finally broke through in the fifth when freshman Maggie Hawkins walked and Galati followed with a RBI double to right-center to cut Mason's lead to 2-1.

Bailey picked up her second extra-base hit of the day by pulling a leadoff double in the sixth. The Pride's fifth hit chased Gabriele in favor of reliever Casey Herring, who walked Trippi to put two on with none out.

Herring then posted back-to-back strikeouts, setting up a showdown with Hawkins. The righty got out of the inning when Hawkins popped up a 0-2 pitch in front of the Hofstra dugout. Blankenship came over from third base and made an athletic catch by the railing to strand two.

Mason put the first two runners on in the sixth via bunt singles. Galati kept the deficit to a single run, getting a pop out, a fly out to left and a foul out to third to send the game into the seventh 2-1 in favor of the Patriots.

Looking for the six-out save, Herring retired the first two batters in the seventh before walking Chloe Fitzgerald to put the potential tying run on base. Rocha pinch-hit for Lindsey Reid with the Pride down to their final out and patiently worked a five-pitch walk with Herring looking to throw to the outside corner.

Bailey, who entered the weekend as Hofstra's leading hitter, struck out swinging with Herring notching her third save. Gabriele (5-8) went 5 innings for the win and struck out three.

In Game 1, Hofstra and Mason played to a scoreless tie until the sixth as Galati and Anna Blessing engaged in a pitchers' duel. Bailey ensured the Pride fired the first salvo with a hard-hit double to lead to the first run. Trippi pulled a RBI single that scored junior Tori Rocha to give Galati a cushion heading into the bottom of the final inning.

The Pride lined three singles to load the bases in the opening inning as Blessing threw almost 30 pitches. But the right-hander escaped without allowing a run by inducing a force out to second to strand three.

Blessing continued to flirt with danger as Hofstra put at least one runner on base in every inning from the first to the fourth. But Mason stranded all eight and threatened to score first in the bottom of the third.

Mary O'Connor worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. With two outs, Galati worked around a fielding error and stranded two by getting Blank to hit into a force at second.

Galati struck out five consecutive batters from the fourth-through-sixth innings. After Bailey doubled and scored in the sixth, Galati retired the final five batters in order. She struck out two in a 1-2-3 seventh, including Casey Price to end the game.

Bailey lined a two-out opposite-field double down the leftfield line in the sixth after Blessing  (1-7) had retired six in a row. Staying alter on the bases, Bailey advanced to third on a wild pitch with fellow freshman Kim Smith at the plate. Blessing then threw another pitch in the dirt that skipped to the backstop and Bailey took off immediately.

Catcher Angela Maioran retried the ball and threw to Blessing covering at the plate for a bang-bang plate. Bailey was called save, giving Hofstra the game's first run and the corner outfielder her 22nd run-scored of the season.

The Pride added a second run when Rocha walked to lead off the seventh, advanced to second on Galati's sacrifice bunt and scored on Trippi's 34th RBI of the season.

Blank had both of Mason's base hits, including a two-out single to right in the sixth. Bailey raced into the gap and made a sliding stop on the ball to prevent Blank for advancing into scoring position. Galati ended the inning by getting Blankenship to pop out.

Hofstra will conclude the three-game series on Sunday with a noon start.