Hempstead, N.Y. – Junior catcher Erin Trippi drove in seven total runs and junior pitcher Taylor Pirone and Morgan Lashley each tossed complete games to help Hofstra to a non-conference doubleheader sweep over Lehigh, 11-3 and 8-1, on Wednesday evening at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
Trippi hit a grand slam as part of a six-RBI effort in the opener and sophomore Caryn Bailey drilled a two-run home run in the second game. Lashley set a season high with 14 strikeouts while allowing one run on three hits in the nightcap to help Hofstra improve to 28-11 overall.
Hofstra compiled 11 hits in each game to extend the Pride's winning streak to six dating to last week's victory over LSU. The Pride has won 14 of the last 17 games and is 12-2 at home. Lehigh, which is 12-3 and in first place in the Patriot League, dropped to 24-17.
Pirone held Lehigh to five hits and three runs in game shortened to six innings because of the run rule in the opener. The right-hander improved to 13-5. Pirone tossed three straight scoreless innings to start the contest, which was scoreless until Hofstra pushed across six runs in the third.
An error, a walk and freshman Chloe Fitzgerald's single loaded the bases and sophomore Maggie Hawkins drew a bases-loaded walk off Christine Campbell (8-7). Trippi followed with a grand slam and her seventh home run tied her temporarily with Hawkins for the team lead.
But Hawkins' home run down the left field to start the sixth ended the contest by virtue of putting Hofstra ahead by eight runs. Her eighth long ball also moved her back into sole possession of the teams home run lead.
Senior shortstop Becca Bigler's two-run home run in the fourth marked her 29th career blast, which tied her with Tara Ulrich (2003-06) for the third-most in program history. Bigler's home run was her first since March 27 against Rutgers.
Lashley produced one of her most dominant efforts of the season against a familiar foe. The right-hander defeated Lehigh twice in one day in the 2013 Patriot League Tournament Championship while a member of Army. The Davidson, N.C. native blanked the Mountain Hawks twice to lift Army to the league title and the NCAA Tournament before transferring to Hofstra, and Lashley picked up where she left off by besting her previous Hofstra high of 13 strikeouts set versus UNCW on April 6.
Lashley (15-4) threw 82 of her 114 pitches for strikes. Trippi supported her early with a first-inning sacrifice fly off Lehigh starter Ashley Quigley (6-5) for her seventh RBI of the day. The Pride again struck for six runs in the third inning to put the game away.
Hawkins, who scored four total runs in the set, drove in Fitzgerald with a single to right. Sophomore Kim Smith added a two-run double and senior Tori Rocha laced a RBI single up the middle.
Bailey, who had two home runs in her first 32 games, launched her second in the last five games with a two-run shot to right that hit the Mack Sports Complex. Bailey now had four home runs and 18 RBIs on the season.
Smith finished with three RBIs in the second game, including a sixth-inning pulled single through the left side that platted Hawkins for Hofstra's final run.
Hofstra will next be in action on Thursday with a 4 p.m. non-conference road game at LIU.
