QUEENS, N.Y. – The Hofstra University Softball team exploded for six runs in the fifth inning to pull away from the Wagner Seahawks on Saturday at the St. John's Invitational, 9-3. Hofstra earned its seventh win out of the last eight games and improves to 9-11 overall on the season.
 
Hofstra produced its fifth-straight double digit hit performance of the season, as the Pride notched 10 hits, with two coming from five different players. Junior Kristin Hallam was 2-for-4 at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored, while Angelina Ioppolo and Courtney Scarpato both went 2-for-4 while Scarpato launched her third home run of the season. Also collecting two hits was freshman Kasey Collins and sophomore Devyn Losco, with Losco also scoring two runs while driving in two.
 
Freshman Madison Burns (5-6) earned her fifth-straight win inside the circle, pitching 5.0 innings while surrendering just one run against 19 batters faced, striking out two. Freshman Mackenzie Suto got the start and tossed 2.0 innings while surrendering two runs, striking out two.
 
Wagner jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Hofstra quickly responded and knotted the score at two, with Losco singling home Ioppolo before Hallam added an RBI double to send home Losco in the bottom of the second. Neither team scored in the third, but after Burns retired the Seahawks in order, Hofstra added a third run as Collins reached on a fielding error allowing Hallam to score, as the Pride took the one-run advantage in the fourth stanza.
 
Wagner continued chipping away in the top of the fifth, as the Seahawks tacked on an RBI single to once again level the score. In the bottom half of the inning, Hofstra did major damage, scoring six runs on four hits while taking advantage of one Wagner error to increase the Pride lead to six. After freshman Madison McKevitt led off with a walk, Ioppolo reached on a throwing error which put runners on second and third.
 
Freshman Jaycee Ruberti collected the Pride's first RBI of the inning with a sacrifice bunt, before Losco drilled a triple to right center field to take a 5-2 lead. Hallam kept the rally going with an RBI single to left, before Scarpato put things out of reach for the Seahawks, knocking a three-run homer to center field which extended Hofstra's lead to six runs in the bottom of the fifth.
 
Wagner made an attempt to make a rally in the seventh with a lead-off single, but the Pride turned a double play and ended things on a ground out to Burns to finalize the score.
 
Hofstra will continue action at the St. John's Invitational tomorrow, March 17 for a doubleheader against Holy Cross and Wagner. First pitch against Holy Cross is set for 10 a.m. and after a game-break, Hofstra will meet Wagner again at 2 p.m. For fans who are unable to attend, live stats and Pride Productions Live Audio will be available.
 
NOTES:
-Four of the last five Hofstra belong to Burns in the circle
-Hallam extended her reached base streak to 19-straight games and has now scored at least one run in eight-straight games
-Freshman Meghan Giordano drew three walks for the Pride, her second game this season with three or more walks
-Hofstra stole a season-high six bases