Harrisonburg, Va. – The No. 24 Hofstra Softball team lost a pair of games at James Madison on Saturday afternoon at Veterans Memorial Park, with the Dukes taking a 9-8 walk-off win in Game 1 before winning Game 2, 6-3.
The losses dropped the Pride to 35-10 overall and 15-2 in Colonial Athletic Association play, snapping a 17-game win streak. James Madison improved to 36-10 and 15-2 in the conference, with the teams now tied for first with the series finale Sunday.
Hofstra outhit the Dukes in both games, with senior
Sarah Edwards finishing the day 5-for-7 with three RBIs, junior
Courtney Scarpato going 5-for-8 with a home run and three RBIs, and senior
Brittany Allocca racking up three hits, including a grand slam.
Game 1:
Game 1 proved to be a battle of two hot offenses, with the contest featuring three ties and four lead changes.
The Pride put up two runs in the top of the first, with senior
Brielle Pietrafesa singling up the middle for Hofstra's first baserunner. A double from classmate Edwards moved Pietrafesa to third, before Scarpato skirted a double down the left-field line to plate two runs.
The Dukes answered with a home run in the bottom of the first and two more in the second to take a 4-2 lead.
Hofstra then knotted the game at four in the top of the third. After Pietrafesa singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, Allocca brought her home with a double to left field. Freshman
Imani Myint then pinch ran for Allocca, advancing to third and scoring on wild pitches.
After James Madison had regained the lead, 5-4, in the bottom of the third, the Pride loaded the bases with no outs on two hit-by-pitches and a bunt single from Hallam. Allocca then drilled a grand slam to dead-center for an 8-5 Hofstra advantage.
The Dukes made it a one-run game in the bottom of the fifth with a two-run homer and tied it at eight in the bottom of the sixth. Oddicci Alexander retired the side in order in the circle in the top of the seventh before hitting the walk-off home run in the bottom of the inning for the Dukes' win.
Game 2:
Senior
Nikki Michalowski dropped a double into right field to plate the first run of Game 2 in the top of the second, after hits from Edwards and Scarpato.
But just as in Game 1, the Dukes had the answer, with solo homers in the bottom of the second and third.
Scarpato evened things at two with a shot to left field, her sixth home run of the season, but a third JMU home run put the Dukes back on top, 3-2, in the bottom of the fourth.
After Edwards hit an RBI double to score sophomore
Kristin Hallam and tie the score at three, Kate Gordon hit a three-run homer to give James Madison a 6-3 lead.
The Pride loaded the bases with one out in the top of the seventh, but the Dukes escaped the inning without giving up a run to seal the victory.
Hofstra closes the series at JMU at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Notes:
-The Pride has tied its single-season record for home runs, now with 57 on the season.
-Allocca has 11 homers this year, which ranks in the program top 10, and has 33 in her career, good for fourth all-time.
-Hofstra's eight runs in Game 1 were the most Dukes freshman pitcher Payton Buresch has given up all season.
-The Dukes were receiving votes in both national polls this week.
-The all-time series between Hofstra and JMU now sits at 38-21 in favor of the Pride.
