Mansfield, Conn. – Hofstra Softball exploded offensively in Game 2 to take a 10-2 run-rule win over Connecticut to earn a split after falling, 4-1, in Game 1, at ECSU Softball Field. The Pride moved to 12-15.

Senior Lacey Clark went 3-for-4 with a home run three RBIs in Game 2. Junior Kaitlyne Musa extended her hitting streak to six games, accounting for two of
Hofstra's three hits in Game 1 and adding a single in Hofstra's eight-run fifth inning in Game 2. Juniors Megan Patierno, Brielle Pietrafesa and Brittany Allocca all finished with a pair of RBIs in Game 2.

Freshman pitcher Alyssa Irons earned her first career win in Game 2, allowing just two runs.

GAME 1

Allocca was the game's first baserunner, with Katie Koshes walking her in the top of the second. Musa sent a hard-hit ball to left-center, where three fielders converged but couldn't make the play. Allocca charged for home, but was thrown out at the plate.

The Huskies (13-16) got on the board first in the bottom of the second, with Chloe Kerns coming home on Kiwi McDaniel's single.

In the top of the third, sophomore Courtney Scarpato was hit by a pitch before freshman Kristin Hallam found a gap in the left side of the infield for a single, but a fly-out and another strikeout from Koshes ended the inning.

A Valerie Sadowl home run to left field in the bottom of the fourth gave UConn a 2-0 lead. Devon Casazza's two-run shot pushed the advantage to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth.

???????Koshes hit junior Nikki Michalowski with a pitch with one out in the top of the seventh, and Michalowski advanced to second on a wild pitch. Koshes then walked Allocca for runners on first and second before a single to center field from Musa brought Michalowski home to spoil the shutout.

Freshman pitcher Sarah Cornell allowed just four hits, striking out three and walking two.
 
GAME 2

Clark gave the Pride its first lead of the day in Game 2, leading off the second inning with a solo shot to left field, her fourth home run of the season. Allocca walked before classmate Sarah Edwards put the ball in play to left field and forced an error, allowing Allocca to advance to third and put runners on the corners, but a pop-out ended the inning.

???????Hallam and Pietrafesa each bunted with no outs in the top of the third, with an error on the play on Pietrafesa's batted ball allowing her to reach and Hallam to move to third. Patierno's sacrifice fly brought Hallam home.

A double from Carli Cutler with two on and two outs in the bottom of the third tied the game at two.

But the Pride came charging back in the top of the fifth, putting up seven hits for eight runs and facing three different pitchers. Pietrafesa led off the inning with a blast to dead center, her fourth home run in six games, to give Hofstra the lead back. The blast was Pietrafesa's team-leading fifth long ball on the season. Clark, Michalowski and Musa then all singled to load the bases with one out, chasing Cutler out of the circle in favor of Kayla Doty.

???????Allocca singled off Doty down the left-field line to bring in two runs. Edwards hit the Pride's fifth straight single to re-load the bases before Doty walked Scarpato to drive in another run for a 6-2 Hofstra lead. Chelsea Eckert then replaced Doty. Hallam reached on a fielder's choice to keep the bases juiced, with UConn getting the out at the plate. Eckert then walked Pietrafesa and Patierno for two more runs. Clark's single down the right-field line drove in two more, but a run-down between first and second ended the inning with Hofstra leading, 10-2.

Irons struck out the lead-off batter in the bottom of the fifth and got the second to pop out. The third got on base, but the fourth hit a ball right to Irons, who threw to first for the final out to earn her first collegiate win. She struck out three, walked one and allowed four hits in 5.0 innings.

???????Hofstra returns home to Bill Edwards Stadium for a three-game conference series with Delaware, beginning with a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Saturday.