Bronx, N.Y. – The Hofstra Softball team used six home runs, including a pair of grand slams, to take a 14-1 win in five innings and an 8-0 win in six innings in Sunday's doubleheader against UNCW at Bahoshy Field. The Pride completed the sweep of the Seahawks in the opening weekend of Colonial Athletic Association play.

Hofstra (17-7, 3-0 CAA) got a pair of home runs from senior Megan Patierno on the day, including a grand slam in Game 1. Classmate Brittany Allocca was 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, and recorded her 103rd career walk to become Hofstra's all-time leader.

The Pride pitching staff allowed just three hits and one run on the day, and did not issue a single walk.

Game 1:
 
The Pride broke the game open in the bottom of the first, scoring five runs on just one hit. Sophomore Kristin Hallam was hit by a pitch to lead off, eventually coming home on a passed ball. Three straight walks then loaded the bases, and Patierno cleared them with a shot to center field.
 
Allocca walked in the bottom of the second, and came home on a two-run shot from senior Brielle Pietrafesa, marking Pietrafesa's fourth straight game with a home run and giving Hofstra a 7-0 lead.
 
The Pride tacked on five more in the third, with junior Courtney Scarpato hitting a leadoff homer, her first of the season. Senior Nikki Michalowski doubled, and a pair of errors brought her home and allowed freshman Kimberly Wert to get on base. Allocca then sent a three-run homer to left-center to give the Pride a 12-0 advantage.
 
UNCW (7-17, 0-3 CAA) got on the board in the top of the fourth, with Hannah Adamcyzk registering the team's only hit of the game, a solo homer to left field.
 
The Pride capped the offensive onslaught with two more runs in the bottom of the fourth on a pinch-hit double from sophomore Alexis Goeke.
 
Sophomore Sarah Cornell (9-4) earned the victory, striking out nine and allowing just one hit and no walks.
 
Game 2:
 
After a quiet first two innings in Game 2, Hofstra's second grand slam of the day, this time off the bat of senior Sarah Edwards, gave the Pride a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the third. Patierno then launched her second of the day to tack on another run.
 
Hofstra sealed the game in the bottom of the sixth. Redshirt-junior Lydia Witkowski pinch-hit a double down the right-field line to lead off, before redshirt-senior Michaela Transue sent a double into left field to score Witkowski. With two outs, Hallam came home on a wild pitch for the 8-0 run-rule victory.
 
Freshman pitcher Sophie Dandola (8-3) earned her third solo shutout of the season, striking out four and allowing just two hits and no walks.
 
Notes:
-The Pride's four home runs in Game 1 was just one off the school record of five.
- Pietrafesa leads the team with five home runs and moved into a tie for eighth all-time in Hofstra history with 24 in her career.
-Allocca, Edwards and Patierno are all tied for second on the team with three homers.
-Goeke's RBIs were the first of her career.
-The Pride now has eight shutouts on the season.