Fort Myers, Fla. – Hofstra scored twice in the first inning and junior pitcher Morgan Lashley remained undefeated by throwing a complete-game two-hit shutout to help the Pride to an 8-0 victory over Michigan State in the finale of the Florida Gulf Coast Tournament on Sunday afternoon.
Lashley struck out six in logging her second consecutive shutout. She improved to 6-0. The right-hander blanked Eastern Michigan in a five-inning game on Saturday. The transfer from Army has five complete games and three shutouts.
Hofstra improved its winning streak to eight and swept all five games in the tournament after capturing the NFCA Leadoff Classic title last week. At 9-1 on the season, the Pride is off to the school's best start since the 2010 squad went 10-1 to begin the campaign.
Junior catcher Erin Trippi hit a two-run to the opposite field in the first and sophomore first baseman Maggie Hawkins added a RBI single in the third.
Hofstra jumped on Michigan State starter Valerie Kaff in the first. Sophomores Chloe Fitzgerald and Hawkins lined back-to-back one-out hits and Trippi delivered a double to right that plated both runners. Trippi has eight RBIs this season.
Hofstra scored again in the second. Senior Rachael Senatore started a two-out rally with a single. Fitzgerald walked and Hawkins drove in Senatore with a single to the left side for a 3-0 edge.
Freshman Lacey Clark hit a two-run double to left-center to score senior second baseman Tori Rocha and Trippi in the fifth for key insurance runs. Sophomore Kim Smith drove in a run for the second consecutive game with a RBI single to the left side that scored senior shortstop Becca Bigler in the seventh. Senatore lofted a sacrifice fly and the Pride scored the third run on an error for the 8-0 margin.
The Pride has out-scored teams, 65-18, this season. Michigan State's only managed an infield single in the third and a double in the sixth.
The Pride will next be in action on Saturday in the Parents' Weekend Tournament hosted by Florida Atlantic. Head Coach Bill Edwards' team will again face Michigan State at 9 a.m. and take on Virginia Tech at 1:30 p.m.
