Clearwater, Fla. – Hofstra Softball split its Opening Day games in a pair of one-run contests in the Michele Smith National Pediatric Cancer Foundation Invitational. The Pride fell to Oklahoma State, 2-1, in the first game, before topping Saint Joseph's, 6-5, in the second at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

GAME 1

The Pride (1-1) and the Cowgirls (4-3) battled defensively, but Madi Sue Montgomery's two-run double decided the game. Junior Brielle Pietrafesa and freshman Kristin Hallam both went 2-for-4 with a double each.

Freshman pitcher Alyssa Irons threw all six innings in her collegiate debut, allowing four hits and two earned runs while striking out one and walking three.

Hofstra loaded the bases in the first inning, beginning with a lead-off single from freshman Kristin Hallam. She was out at second on a fielder's choice that allowed junior Brielle Pietrafesa to reach first. Junior Brittany Allocca also reached on a fielder's choice, and Pietrafesa advanced to third on an error, before junior Nikki Michalowski singled to load the bases. Oklahoma State then turned a double-play to get out of the inning unscathed.

Irons faced just four batters in each of her first two collegiate innings. Pietrafesa doubled to center field with two outs in the top of the third, but the Cowgirls closed the inning and left her on base.

Oklahoma State got on the board in the bottom of the third. Vanessa Shippy walked before Taylor Lynch's single allowed Shippy to advance to third. Irons recorded her first collegiate strikeout, getting Rylee Bayless for the second out. Lynch then stole second, and Madi Sue Montgomery doubled, allowing Shippy and Lynch to score for a 2-0 lead. Kristin Reasnor then grounded out to end the inning.

Hofstra scored in the top of the fourth. Michalowski walked to lead off, before freshman Sam Tomasetti hit a sacrifice bunt to allow Michalowski to advance to second. Junior Megan Patierno then singled, and Michalowski scored. Oklahoma State's third error of the day allowed senior Lacey Clark to reach, with Patierno moving to second. Sophomore Courtney Scarpato singled to once again load the bases. Right-handed pitcher Logan Simunek then came in to relieve Whitney Whitehorn. Simunek struck out Hallam to get the Cowgirls out of the inning with the bases loaded.
Irons faced just three batters in the fourth inning, four in the fifth, and three in the sixth, but the Pride couldn't mount a rally with Oklahoma taking the 2-1 win.

GAME 2

The Pride used a big fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead over Saint Joseph's in the second game. The Hawks responded in the top of the fifth, but Hofstra was able to hold them off to take the 6-5 win for the team's first victory of the season.

Michalowski went 2-for-2 with two RBIs in the second game of the day, while senior Lacey Clark was 3-for-3.

Michalowski was hit by a pitch to reach first to begin the fourth inning. Tomasetti and Patierno then both singled to load the bases, before junior Kaitlyne Musa was hit by a pitch to bring Michalowski home. Clark and junior Sarah Edwards each added singles to drive in two more runs. Ashley Stokes then stepped in to relieve Madison Clarke. Hallam reached on a fielder's choice to keep the bases loaded for Hofstra, but Musa was tagged out at the plate. After Pietrafesa struck out for the second out, Stokes walked Allocca, which brought Clark home. Michalowski then came back up, singling to left field to bring in two more runs before the Hawks were able to get out of the inning.

Saint Joseph's answered right back in the top of the fifth, with runners getting on base with a walk and a hit-by-pitch. A single drove in one run before Kaylyn Zierke hit a three-run home run to make it 6-4. Freshman pitcher Sarah Cornell then threw her third collegiate strikeout to get out of the inning.

Senior Jessica Peslak took over for Cornell in the top of the sixth, with Cornell earning the win and finishing with five hits, four runs, four walks and three strikeouts in five innings pitched. The Hawks put a runner on second with a double before two illegal pitches allowed the runner to score.
Peslak faced just four batters in the top of the seventh. She finished allowing two hits and one run, with three strikeouts and no walks in two innings.

The Pride returns to action on Saturday, playing another pair of games in the Michele Smith Invitational. Hofstra opens the day with an 11 a.m. matchup with Binghamton before taking on No. 20 South Florida at 4 p.m.