Charleston, S.C. – Hofstra Softball fell twice in a doubleheader with Charleston, 2-1 and 5-1, on Saturday afternoon at Patriots Point.
Freshman
Kristin Hallam extended her hit streak to 10 games, going 2-for-4 in Game 1 and adding a single in Game 2. Juniors
Brielle Pietrafesa and
Nikki Michalowski each finished the day with multiple hits as well. The losses dropped Hofstra to 23-19 and 9-6 in Colonial Athletic Association play.
GAME 1
The Cougars (30-19, 10-7 CAA) took an early 1-0 lead on a solo home run from Jordin Jones in the bottom of the first. Freshman pitcher
Sarah Cornell then struck out the next batter to end the inning. She continued to hold the Cougars off the board, fanning two more batters in the fourth and one in the fifth.
The Pride knotted the score in the top of the sixth, with freshman Kristin Hallm leading off with a single and advancing to second on wild pitch. Junior
Brielle Pietrafesa then smacked a single into shallow left field, making it to second as the center field bobbled the ball, allowing Hallam to score. With no outs and Pietrafesa still on second, Charleston pitcher Sydney Shipley walked junior
Brittany Allocca. Classmate
Nikki Michalowski then drilled a single into left to load the bases. After Izzy Berouty took over in the circle, the Cougars turned a double play on
Lacey Clark's attempt at a sacrifice fly, catching Pietrafesa in a rundown and tagging her out at home.
Cornell pitched a clean bottom of the sixth, striking out two more. Sophomore
Courtney Scarpato dropped a single into shallow center field with two outs in the top of the seventh, but a fly-out to left field ended the inning.
After a lead-off single in the bottom of the seventh, freshman
Alyssa Irons took over in the circle, striking out the first batter she saw. The next walked, putting runners on first and second. A ground-out to first gave the Pride two outs, but moved the runners to second and third. Irons then intentionally walked the next batter for a force-play at any base, but another walk brought in the winning run.
GAME 2
Charleston used five hits to put up four runs in the first inning of Game 2.
Allocca led off the top of the fourth with a single straight at the pitcher before Michalowski drilled a double to the wall in left-center. Clark then hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Allocca and get the Pride on the board.
The Cougars tacked on another run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single from Jones. Irons retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth and sixth, including tossing her fourth strikeout of the day in the fifth.
Allocca battled through a 12-pitch plate appearance to walk in the top of the sixth for her team-leading 21st walk of the season, before junior Megan Patierno got on base on a fielder's choice, but a quick third out ended the inning. The Cougars retired the side in the bottom of the seventh to seal the win.
Hofstra plays the final game of the series with Charleston on Sunday morning at 11 a.m.