Miami, Fla. – Senior Sarah Edwards hit a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to push the Hofstra Softball team past Florida International, 2-0, on Sunday morning in the Pride's final game of the FIU Felsberg Invitational at Felsberg Field.
 
Hofstra finished the opening-weekend tournament at 3-2 after beating the Panthers for the second time, while FIU dropped to 2-3.
 
Sophomore Kristin Hallam led off the first inning with a triple, and the remainder of the game proved to be a pitchers' duel between sophomore Sarah Cornell and FIU's Shannon Saile, with each pitcher allowing just two hits through seven innings.
 
Edwards broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the eighth with a two-run blast to left-center, the Pride's first home run of the season. Redshirt-junior Lydia Witkowski reached on an error to lead off the eighth, advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from senior Brittany Allocca before Edwards brought Witkowski home.
 
Cornell (2-1) then secured her second shutout win in as many games and the Pride's third shutout of the weekend by retiring the side in order in the bottom of the eighth. She finished with 11 strikeouts, allowing just one walk.
 
Hofstra heads back to Florida next weekend, beginning the trip with a pair of games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando, taking on Kennesaw State and Stetson on Friday.
 
Notes:
-Cornell has thrown 25 strikeouts in her past two games after recording 14 against East Carolina on Saturday. Her season high in 2017 was nine strikeouts.
-Edwards' home run was her second in a Hofstra jersey.
-Hallam has finished with a hit in all five of the Pride's games so far this season.
-Hofstra is now 3-1 all-time against FIU.