Miami, Fla. – The Hofstra Softball team cruised to a 4-0 win over East Carolina before falling to South Carolina, 11-0, on Saturday at the FIU Felsberg Invitational at Felsberg Field. The Gamecocks were receiving votes in the preseason national polls.
Sophomore pitcher
Sarah Cornell helped propel the Pride (2-2) to its shutout victory over the Pirates, recording a career-high 14 strikeouts in her first win of the season.
Game 1:
The Pride got things started early against the Pirates, with senior
Sarah Edwards hitting an RBI double in the top of the first inning to give Hofstra a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, senior
Brielle Pietrafesa led off with a walk, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from classmate
Kaitlyne Musa. Senior
Megan Patierno's single through the left side brought Pietrafesa home to double the Pride's lead.
Redshirt-junior
Lydia Witkowski led off the fifth inning with a triple and scored on a passed ball to make it 3-0. Senior
Brittany Allocca capped the scoring in the top of the seventh, driving in freshman
Devyn Losco with a single to right field.
Cornell used her career performance to earn her first win and shutout of the season, allowing just three hits and walking just one.
Game 2:
Hofstra nearly broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the third, with Witkowski reaching first on a fielder's choice for the second out. Allocca doubled to right field, and Witkowski broke for home but got thrown out at the plate.
South Carolina used a three-run homer to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the fourth, before doubling the advantage to 6-0 in the top of the fifth, capitalizing with four straight hits. The Gamecocks scored five more runs in the sixth to take the win.
Hofstra concludes the Felsberg Invitational on Sunday morning, taking on host FIU at 11:15 a.m.
Notes:
-Allocca and sophomore
Kristin Hallam have recorded hits in all four games thus far.
-Freshmen
Devyn Losco and
Kimberly Wert got their first collegiate at-bats.
-Edwards has drawn four walks thus far.
-Patierno's RBI single was her first hit of the season.