Hempstead, N.Y. – Hope Klicker threw a complete-game six-hitter and the College of Charleston opened the scoring in third as Hofstra lost, 4-0, to the Cougars in a Colonial Athletic Association meeting on Sunday afternoon at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
CofC designated player Carly Hansis drove in the Cougars opening run on a third-inning RBI single to right that plated Lizzy Vaughn and the visitors added three unearned runs for insurance in the seventh. Hofstra, which swept a Saturday doubleheader with two seventh-inning comeback victories when down to its final out, took two-of-three in the set but still fell to 22-10 and 5-4 in CAA play. Klicker struck out five and improved to 15-10 in helping CofC up its record to 31-14 and 5-4 against the league.
Junior pitcher Morgan Lashley gave Hofstra a chance to win by holding CofC to just the one run on six hits in six innings. Lashley struck out two and walked just one batter in dropping to 12-4.
Vaughn finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and ignited the CofC offense with a one-out single up the middle to start the third. Following a pop out and a walk, Hansis recorded her 10th RBI of the season on a single to right.
Hofstra twice put two runners on base in an inning, including in the second when junior catcher Erin Trippi and senior second baseman Tori Rocha both singled to put runners on first-and-second with one out. Klicker escaped the jam and again worked out of trouble in the fifth after hitting sophomore Alyssa Cuzzola and allowing a two-out infield single to sophomore Chloe Fitzgerald. A ground out to the pitcher ended that jam as Hofstra stranded seven runners on base in the contest.
CofC scored three runs in the seventh while capitalizing on a pair of errors. Outfielder Rebecca Mueller's two-run single extended the Cougars' lead to 4-0. The Pride lost for the first time at home this season and is 9-1 at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
Klicker earned her third individual shutout of the season and tossed her 12th complete game.
Cuzzola made her second career start and batted eighth as the right fielder. Before the game, Hofstra honored two-time All-America selection and 2013 graduate Olivia Galati with the coaching staff presenting her with her 2013 second-team All-America trophy as well a plaque issued by the NCAA for her Division I-leading 40 wins for last season. Galati threw out the ceremonial first pitch.
The Pride will next be in action on Tuesday with a non-conference home matchup against Seton Hall at 4 p.m. from Hofstra Softball Stadium.
