QUEENS, N.Y. – The Hofstra University Softball team completed a sweep of Holy Cross and Wagner on Sunday at the Red Storm Invitational at Red Storm Field, improving to 11-11 on the year with its fourth and fifth-straight wins. The Pride first blanked Holy Cross, 5-0 before cruising past Wagner by a score of 11-1 to complete the St. John's Invitational.
 
The Pride had an excellent day at the plate, as six players batted .500 or better on the day, led by freshman Jaycee Ruberti (5-for-7), freshman Kasey Collins (5-for-8) and junior Kristin Hallam (5-for-9) who all tallied five hits each. Senior Courtney Scarpato was 4-for-8 on the day and also drove in a team-high four runs, and freshman Meghan Giordano and freshman Imani Myint tallied three hits each.
 
Game 1: Hofstra 5, Holy Cross 0
 
After a scoreless two and a half innings to start, Hofstra broke through first in the bottom of the third, when Myint tapped a bunt single down the third base line and stole second base with Hallam at the plate. Hallam then knocked an RBI single to right field which allowed Myint to advance and score on a fielding error by the Crusaders.
 
After freshman Mackenzie Suto pitched her fourth-straight hitless inning, Hofstra continued to chip away, plating one more run in the bottom of the fifth when Hallam crossed the plate on a Collins two-out single to increase the score to 3-0. Holy Cross reached base with just its second hit of the game in the top of the sixth, but the Pride quickly got out of the inning with a fielder's choice to send the game to the bottom of the sixth.
 
After a pitching change for the Crusaders, Giordano tacked on another run for the Pride with her seventh home run of the season, a solo shot to left field to lead off the inning. Junior Alexis Goeke cemented the final score with an RBI single up the middle to plate freshman Amanda Maffucci, who replaced freshman Angelina Ioppolo on the base paths after reaching on an infield single.
 
Suto (4-5) earned her second career shutout in the circle, pitching a full 7.0 innings while allowing just three hits and striking out six.
 
Game 2: Hofstra 11, Wagner 1
 
Hofstra produced its best offensive effort of the season, compiling a season-high 22 hits to defeat Wagner for the second time this season. Three Pride players tallied four hits in the contest, including Collins, Scarpato and Ruberti, who were all 4-for-5 at the dish. Scarpato also drove in four runs, followed by Collins who knocked in two while freshman Emily Wang and freshman Madison McKevitt sent in one.
 
Hofstra quickly jumped on the Seahawks in the first inning, and after Wagner went down in order in its at-bats, Hallam scored Myint on an RBI single and moved to third on a throwing error by the Seahawk third baseman. Hallam went on to score when Collins tripled to right center field before Scarpato added another tally with an RBI single to right center.
The Pride kept the rally going into the top of the third inning, when McKevitt drove home Ruberti, who led off the inning with a double down the left field line. Hofstra added one more run in the stanza to increase the advantage to 6-0.
 
Wagner was able to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the sixth with one run on three hits, but the Pride responded with another burst in the top of the seventh, putting things away with a four-run inning off of six hits. The frame was highlighted by a Scarpato two-run homer to center field before Wang collected her first career RBI single to finalize the score.
 
Freshman Madison Burns earned her sixth-straight win in the circle, leveling her record this season to 6-6 overall with a complete-game performance in which she surrendered just one earned run, allowed six hits, and struck out five.
 
Up Next:
The Pride will open up its home schedule this Wednesday, March 20 against LIU Brooklyn. First pitch at Bill Edwards Stadium is set for 3:00 pm.  

Notes:
-Hofstra improved to .500 on the year for the first time this season
-Hallam and Collins both extended their hit streaks to seven
-Hallam has now reached base in 21 consecutive games
-Hofstra posted a season-high at bats, hits, total bases, triples, and stolen bases against Wagner
-Hofstra's six stolen bases were one away from tying a Hofstra single-game record in stolen bases