Wilmington, N.C. – Hofstra Softball picked up a pair of Colonial Athletic Association wins on Saturday, taking down UNCW, 6-0, in Game 1 before earning a 5-3 nine-inning win in Game 2 at Boseman Field. The Seahawks had come into the week in first place in the CAA standings, with their only other conference loss coming to Elon.

Junior Brielle Pietrafesa had a big day for the Pride, going 4-for-8 with three runs and a pair of two-run doubles in Game 2, including driving in the winning runs in the ninth inning.

Classmate Brittany Allocca was 4-for-6 on the day with two walks, while fellow junior Nikki Michalowski was 3-for-4 in Game 1. Freshman Kristin Hallam had three hits, three runs and two RBIs through both games.

GAME 1

The Pride (17-17, 6-4 CAA) got on the board early in the first game, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Freshman Kristin Hallam got on base to lead off, getting hit by a pitch from Peyton Jordan. Then with one out, Allocca and Michalowski loaded the bases with a pair of singles to left field. Jordan then hit her second batter of the inning in junior Megan Patierno to bring a run home.
 
The Seahawks (28-9-1, 8-3 CAA) put runners on the corners in the bottom of the first with one out, but Rachel Willis grounded to Hallam at shortstop, and she teamed up with senior Lacey Clark at second and at Allocca at first to turn the double play and get Hofstra out of the inning.
 
After Pietrafesa had singled to lead off the top of the third, Michalowski tripled to right-center, the Pride's first triple of the season, to send Pietrafesa home for a 2-0 Hofstra lead.
 
Pietrafesa once again singled to lead off the fifth, before Allocca's fifth home run in the past six games, a long shot over the left-field wall, gave the Pride a 4-0 advantage.
 
Junior Kaitlyne Musa opened the sixth inning with a single into left field and sophomore Courtney Scarpato walked to put two runners on. Hallam then sent a double deep into left-center to drive in two more runs for the Pride.
 
Freshman pitcher Sarah Cornell pitched a clean sixth inning, getting the lead-off batter to fly out to Pietrafesa in right field. Then, Cornell snagged a line drive hit straight to her for the second out before striking out Willis looking.
 
UNCW threatened in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases with one out, but back-to-back batters popped up to Hallam at shortstop, with Hallam making a leaping catch on the second for the final out.
 
Cornell pitched her fourth shutout of the season in the complete-game victory, walking two and striking out two.
 
GAME 2
 
The second game needed nine innings for a decision, with the Seahawks scoring first, then Hofstra taking a 3-1 lead before UNCW knotted the score at three in the bottom of the sixth. The Pride got 3.0 innings from all three of its pitchers as freshman Alyssa Irons took the win.
 
The Seahawks got on the board first in the second game, with Kali Jones walking with the bases loaded for a 1-0 lead. Cornell, back in the circle to start Game 2, rebounded in the second, pitching a clean inning.
 
Hofstra then took over the lead in the top of the third. Musa led off with a walk, with freshman Sam Tomasetti taking over to pinch-run at first. Scarpato moved Tomasetti over with a sacrifice bunt before Hallam singled to center field, advancing Tomasetti to third. Pietrafesa then sent a double into left field to bring in two runs. With Pietrafesa still on second with one out, Allocca walked. Pietrafesa moved to third on a fly out before Clark's single to shallow left field brought Pietrafesa home for a 3-1 Hofstra lead.
 
With the bases loaded for the Seahawks with one out in the bottom of the third, Cornell worked her way out. Michalowski ran in to snag a fly-out for the second out, before Cornell corralled a grounder and threw to first for the third out to prevent the run from scoring.
 
Senior Jessica Peslak took over in the circle in the bottom of the fourth, facing just seven batters in her first two frames, including throwing a clean inning in the fifth.
 
The Seahawks knotted the score at three in the bottom of the fifth, capitalizing on defensive miscues.
 
After a lead-off single for UNCW in the bottom of the seventh, freshman Alyssa Irons came into the circle. Another runner reached and a sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third, and an intentional walk loaded the bases to put a force play at every base. Allocca threw to the plate to get the second out as the runner slid into Musa to prevent the double play, but a grounder to short stop ended the inning and forced extras.
 
Allocca walked and Michalowski was hit by a pitch in the top of the eighth, and a sacrifice bunt from Megan Patierno with one out moved them to second and third. But a ground-out got the Seahawks out of the inning.
 
UNCW loaded the bases once again in the bottom of the eighth, but Irons threw a strikeout for the second out before Patierno turned the third out to first on a grounder to give the Pride another opportunity.
 
Hofstra capitalized on its chance, with Musa leading off with a walk. Scarpato's sac bunt moved Musa to second before Hallam slapped a slow single to put runners on the corners. Pietrafesa then hit her second two-run double of the game to give Hofstra the lead.
 
Irons pitched a clean bottom of the ninth, including a strikeout, to get the win for the Pride.
 
Hofstra closes the series at UNCW on Sunday at 11 a.m.