Clearwater, Fla. – Hofstra Softball opens its season this weekend at the Michele Smith National Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invitational in Clearwater, Florida.
The Pride opens the tournament with a matchup with Oklahoma State at 4:15 p.m. on Friday before taking on Saint Joseph's at 6 p.m. that night. Hofstra will meet Binghamton at 11 a.m. Saturday and No. 20 South Florida at 4 p.m., before closing the tournament against Wisconsin at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday. Select games will be available via live stats.
The Pride welcomes eight newcomers to the team this season, adding depth at nearly every position. First-Team All-Colonial Athletic Association and Third-Team NFCA All-Region selections
Nikki Michalowski and
Brielle Pietrafesa and Second-Team All-CAA pick
Lacey Clark will return veteran leadership to Hofstra. A pair of freshmen in
Sarah Cornell and
Alyssa Irons will give the Pride pitching staff a boost, while rookies
Sam Tomasetti,
Kristin Hallam and
Alexis Goeke will bolster Hofstra's depth in the field and at the plate.
The Pride finished last season 24-22, marking the 27th consecutive season with winning record.
Hofstra opens the weekend tournament with a matchup with Oklahoma State, a team that is receiving votes in both polls this week. The Cowgirls got off to a 3-2 start last weekend, picking up wins over McNeese State and Penn State, while falling twice to No. 7 LSU. Rylee Bayless went 6-for-12 on the weekend, hitting a home run and two doubles with four RBIs and three runs. Brandi Needham appeared in two games, picking up a pair of wins and posting a 0.58 ERA in 12.0 innings. The Pride is 3-3 all-time against Oklahoma State.
Hofstra and Saint Joseph's have met just once before, with Hofstra taking the win. The Hawks will open their season this weekend as well, after advancing to the Atlantic 10 Championship last season. Saint Joseph's was picked third in the conference preseason poll and returns top hitter Amanda Kulp, who led the team last season with a .364 batting average. Starting pitcher Ashley Ventura also returns after going 14-10 with a 2.45 ERA last season.
Binghamton will also play its first games of the season at the tournament. The Bearcats return top hitter Jessica Rutherford, who hit .441 last season with 48 RBIs. The team lost both of its starting pitchers, however. The Pride won its only previous meeting with Binghamton.
No. 20 South Florida got off to a hot start, winning three of four at home last weekend, with freshman Bethany Keen hitting a walk-off homer in the season opener against Illinois State. Kristen Wyckoff went 6-for-10 on the weekend to lead the team. The Bulls hold a 14-7 advantage in the all-time series with the Pride, including eliminating Hofstra in three games from the 2012 NCAA SuperRegional.
Wisconsin went 4-0 in its opening weekend, beating Northern Iowa, Nebraska-Omaha, Toledo and Drake by a combined score of 23-8. Chloe Miller went 8-for-13 with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs and five runs. Pitcher Kaitlyn Menz picked up three wins with a 0.37 ERA. The Pride and the Badgers are even at 1-1 in the all-time series.
Hofstra will return to Florida next weekend for a tournament at Florida Gulf Coast, taking on Rutgers, Wisconsin, Florida International, Boston College and the host Eagles.
