SB: Hofstra To Play Five Games In Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational

Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra will make a return trip to Louisiana when the Pride gets ready to play in the five-game Louisiana-Lafayette Invitational from Friday to Sunday at Lamson Field. The Pride will face both Iowa and nationally ranked Louisiana-Lafayette twice before capping the trip with a matchup versus McNeese State.

Hofstra is 2-3 and receiving votes in the latest NFCA national poll released this week. Head Coach Larissa Anderson picked up both her first career win last week in the LSU Invitational when the Pride bested Central Arkansas and then upended No. 20 Notre Dame for Anderson's first win over a ranked team.

On Friday, Hofstra will face Iowa at 1 p.m. and the Cajuns at 6 p.m. Saturday will see the Pride take on Iowa again at 11 a.m. followed by a rematch against the Cajuns at 1:30 p.m. Sunday's finale against McNeese State is set for 1 p.m. Both games against Louisiana-Lafayette will feature live video.

In returning to the Pelican State for a second straight week, Hofstra will face a third nationally ranked team in the young season when the Pride takes on a Louisiana-Lafayette squad that has a No 6 ranking in the latest NFCA poll. Louisiana-Lafayette is 9-0 to start 2015. The fast start comes after the Cajuns advanced to the 2014 Women's College World Series following a stirring victory over Arizona in the super regionals. The defending Sun Belt champions will carry a four-game shutout streak into its third tournament of the season. All nine victories have come at home.

Hofstra is 1-8 in the all-time series, which started in 2000. Hofstra has played the Cajuns in the last three seasons, including a 7-4 loss to No. 20 Louisiana-Lafayette last season.

The Pride and Hawkeyes have faced off four times in history with Iowa holding a 3-1 record. The teams met in the 2003 NCAA Tournament, where No. 23 Iowa won, 3-0, in the Lincoln Regional in Nebraska. Iowa is off to a 3-5 start this year, including three straight losses at the University of Florida Tournament.

McNeese State is 7-3 and riding a two-game winning streak entering the tournament. Hofstra won the only meeting in the all-time series, which came in 1994.

Senior pitchers Morgan Lashley (1-1) and Taylor Pirone (1-2) each earned victories in the season opening tournament. Lashley's win came in exciting fashion as the right hander threw a six-inning no-hitter versus Central Arkansas. Lashley struck out seven against two walks to record her second no-hitter since joining Hofstra before the 2014 campaign.

Pirone didn't officially record a no-hitter in her win, though the right-hander tossed 4 2/3 hitless innings of relief of Lashley to lift Hofstra to a win over the nationally ranked Irish. Hofstra has defeated six nationally ranked opponents since 2012 after upending No. 20 Notre Dame on Feb. 15. Since 2013, Hofstra is 4-6 against ranked opponents. Below is a list of wins, including victories over No. 5 Texas and No. 8 Missouri in 2013.

Fresh faces have provided power with first-year players accounting for both of Hofstra's home runs. Brittany Allocca and Brielle Pietrafesa each hit their first career home runs. Allocca's three-run shot provided Hofstra's entire offensive output in the win over the Irish. Her four RBIs through the first five games leads the team.

Junior outfielder Chloe Fitzgerald lined three hits in the tournament and stole her first base of 2015. After going 19-for-19 on stolen base attempts in 2014, Fitzgerald has 24 consecutive stolen bases since last being thrown out on April 7, 2013 against Drexel.

Sophomore second baseman Lacey Clark is Hofstra's leading hitter through the young season at .273. Redshirt junior first baseman Danielle Bitts did not start a game in her first three seasons on the roster but has started the first five games of the new seasons and had one RBI and is the team's second-leading hitter at .222.

Junior Caryn Bailey has become the team's center fielder after spending her first two seasons in right. Bailey has two RBIs.

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Players Mentioned

#21 Brittany Allocca: INF; 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R

#24 Caryn Bailey: OF; 5' 6"; Junior; L/R

#7 Danielle Bitts: UT; 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior; R/R

#5 Lacey Clark: INF; 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R

#10 Chloe Fitzgerald: OF; 5' 6"; Junior; L/L

#8 Morgan Lashley: P; 5' 3"; Senior; R/R

#14 Brielle Pietrafesa: OF; 5' 2"; Freshman; R/R

#20 Taylor Pirone: P; 5' 10"; Senior; R/R

Players Mentioned

#21 Brittany Allocca
: 5' 6"; Freshman; R/R
: INF

#24 Caryn Bailey
: 5' 6"; Junior; L/R
: OF

#7 Danielle Bitts
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior; R/R
: UT

#5 Lacey Clark
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; R/R
: INF

#10 Chloe Fitzgerald
: 5' 6"; Junior; L/L
: OF

#8 Morgan Lashley
: 5' 3"; Senior; R/R
: P

#14 Brielle Pietrafesa
: 5' 2"; Freshman; R/R
: OF

#20 Taylor Pirone
: 5' 10"; Senior; R/R
: P