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Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Jessica Peslak
Jessica Peslak
5
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 9-7
1
St. John's SJUSB 8-10
Winner
Hofstra HOFSTRA
9-7
5
Final
1
St. John's SJUSB
8-10
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Hofstra HOFSTRA 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 5 5 1
St. John's SJUSB 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3 0

W: Peslak, Jessica (6-4) L: Murray, M. (0-4)

9
Winner Connecticut UCONN 6-14
3
Hofstra HOFSTRA 9-8
Winner
Connecticut UCONN
6-14
9
Final
3
Hofstra HOFSTRA
9-8
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R H E
Connecticut UCONN 0 3 1 1 0 4 0 9 10 0
Hofstra HOFSTRA 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 3 5 0

W: ECKERT, Chelsea (3-7) L: Grimm, Madison (3-4)

Game Recap: Softball | | By Brian Bohl

SB: Pride Splits Opening Day Of Hofstra Invitational

Hempstead, N.Y. –  The Pride split the opening day of the Hofstra Invitational with a 5-1 win over St. John's before falling to Connecticut, 9-3, in the second contest on Saturday from Bill Edwards Stadium.

Junior pitcher Jessica Peslak threw a complete-game three-hitter to help Hofstra win the official home opener against the Red Storm. The Pride scored all five runs in the fourth inning.  Connecticut then won its game against the Pride after posting a win over St. John's. Hofstra moved to 9-8 while UConn improved to 6-14 and St. John's dropped to 8-10.

Sophomore first baseman Nikki Michalowski hit a two-run single after junior Michaela Transue and sophomore Brielle Pietrafesa added RBI singles in the fifth to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 5-1 lead over the Red Storm.

That was all the support Peslak needed in improving to 6-4. The right-hander struck out three and allowed only a run on a third-inning sacrifice fly in throwing 108 pitches. McKenzie Murray also pitched a complete game for St. John's. Murray allowed five hits and struck out five in falling to 0-4.

St. John's went ahead on Yvonne Rericha's sacrifice fly that scored pinch-runner Taylor Stimson in the third. The Pride then put the first four runners on against Murray in the third. Seniors Kim Smith and Caryn Bailey hit back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases. Transue's RBI bunt single off a squeeze play brought in the tying run. The Pride scored the  go-ahead run on Murray's wild pitch and Pietrafesa's one-out single through the right side scored Bailey for the two-run lead. A strikeout brought up Michalowski, who lined a single up the middle to score two for the five-run rally.

Peslak would not allow St. John's to score again, though the Red Storm threatened the in the seventh by loading the bases. A fielding error with two outs brought the potential tying run to the plate, though Peslak forced Rericha to fly out to left to end the game and strand three.

Hofstra again trailed to start the second game when Connecticut scored three second-inning runs. The Huskies went to the bench early after back-to-back walks and a sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position. Pinch-hitter Heather Fyfe was called on to come through and she delivered a two-run single. Taylor Townsend's sacrifice fly off freshman Madison Grimm (3-4) brought the score to 3-0.

Dominique Pinto's sacrifice fly the next inning made it a 4-0 UConn edge before senior Chloe Fitzgerald, Smith and Bailey all registered RBIs to bring Hofstra within 4-3. The Huskies added another run in the fourth on Lexi Gilford's single through the left side.

The Huskies then used a strategic pitching change to protect the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Transue's leadoff single chased starter Jill Stockley in favor of Chelsea Eckert, who got out of damage and logged four total scoreless innings out of the bullpen to earn the victory. Eckert, who started and won UConn's opening victory over St. John's, improved to 3-7.

Gilford went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs scored, including a two-run double as part of UConn's four-run sixth to secure the victory.

Hofstra will next be in action with one more game each against each squad on Sunday. The Pride will face St. John's at 11 a.m. before facing UConn in a rematch right after.
 
 
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