THE FIRST PITCH
Hofstra is set to take on LIU Brooklyn for the second time this season, this time at LIU Field on Thursday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m. Hofstra, now 14-12 on the year, is coming off its opening weekend of Colonial Athletic Association play where the Pride went 2-1 at the College of Charleston, while LIU Brooklyn has not played since meeting Hofstra at Bill Edwards Stadium on March 20. However, the Blackbirds will meet Columbia on its home field on Wednesday, March 27 at 3:30 p.m.
 
HOW TO WATCH
There will be live video available on NEC Front Row, and live statistics will also be available. Links to both can be found at the top of this page and at the top of the Hofstra Softball schedule page.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES
Hofstra leads the all-time series over LIU, 23-9. The series dates back to the 1952 season in Hofstra softball's second year of existence, when the Pride won, 16-3. When the teams last met earlier this month on March 20, Hofstra won by a score of 4-3.
 
LAST TIME THEY MET
Hofstra was led by the core upperclassmen duo of junior Kristin Hallam and senior Courtney Scarpato who both drove in two runs off of two hits. Freshman Kasey Collins, sophomore Devyn Losco and freshman Madison McKevitt also tallied a pair of hits, while Hallam, Losco, McKevitt and freshman Imani Myint scored Hofstra's four runs. Losco also had a great game behind the plate defensively, catching two runners stealing on two attempts.
 
Freshman Mackenzie Suto picked up the win in the circle, improving to 5-5 on the season while tossing 4.1 innings, striking out two. Freshman Madison Burns pitched 2.2 innings in relief and picked up her first career save with two strikeouts while not surrendering a run.
 
ABOUT HOFSTRA
Hofstra has significantly improved its offense from the start of the season, now batting .315 as a team which ranks third in the CAA. While the offense has been putting several double-digit hit performances together, the defense is one of the best in the league as the Pride is currently tied for first in fielding percentage (.968).
 
Individually, the Pride has several key players who have all made major contributions to Hofstra's winning stretch, including three players who are batting over .400. Junior shortstop Kristin Hallam leads the team in batting average (.439) which ranks third in the CAA. She is tied for first in the league in runs scored, is first in total hits, and is second in on base percentage (.592) and stolen bases (18). Freshman third baseman Meghan Giordano, who is hitting .411 this year, is responsible for a majority of the Pride's run production, as she has now driven in 30 runs this season which is third in the league, just two away from tying for first. In addition, Giordano recently tallied her eighth home run of the season, good for fifth in the league. Freshman second baseman Kasey Collins is another player who is above the .400 mark, hitting .421 on the year while also being efficient on the base paths with 11 stolen bases.
 
Freshman Madison Burns, this week's CAA Pitcher of the Week, is leading the pitching staff with a 2.92 ERA. Burns (8-6) has won her last eight games in the circle and has pitched two complete game shutouts this season with a team-high 42 strikeouts. Burns is also leading the conference in total innings pitched with 91.0. Freshman Mackenzie Suto (5-5) is another main starter, as she has recorded a 4.34 ERA through 58.0 innings pitched with 39 strikeouts.
 
ABOUT LIU BROOKLYN
LIU Brooklyn enters the contest with a 15-12 overall record, and is led at the plate by Schae Dickson who is the lone Blackbird that is hitting above .300 and is just above with a .307 batting average on the year. Dickson has also been a majority of LIU's run production as she has scored a team-high 18 times while also leading in RBI with 16. Kiana Cisneros, Patricia Griffin and Alina Castillo have also been forces at the plate, as each player has tallied over 20 hits this season.
 
Elena Valenzuela is LIU Brooklyn's go-to hurler, as she is 8-3 this year inside the circle with a 2.15 ERA, striking out 38 batters in 84.2 innings pitched. She has also pitched seven complete games with four shutouts this year. For her efforts, she was named the Northeast Conference Pitcher and Rookie of the Week for three-straight weeks earlier this season.
 
UP NEXT
Hofstra will host the University of Delaware for a three-game series on March 30 and 31. The doubleheader will take place on Saturday, March 30 at 1 p.m. while single game will follow on Sunday at 12 p.m.