HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Hofstra University softball team suffered a pair of losses on Sunday afternoon to the Towson Tigers at Bill Edwards Stadium, falling 12-8 in game one before coming up short in game two, 4-3, in eight innings. Towson improved to 23-23 overall and 6-9 in the Colonial Athletic Association while Hofstra dropped to 19-23 overall and 6-9 in CAA action.
 
Despite the two defeats, Hofstra had a solid day overall at the plate, as four players hit over .500 on the day. Freshman Kasey Collins was 5-for-7 (.714) at the plate with one RBI and three runs scored, while senior Courtney Scarpato, junior Alexis Goeke and junior Lydia Witkowski all hit exactly .500, with Scarpato hitting 4-for-8 across both games with one double and one RBI. Goeke drove in a total of four runs, including a three-run home run in game one, while freshman Meghan Giordano also tallied four RBI including a three-run homer in the nightcap.
 
Game 1: Towson 12, Hofstra 8
After Towson went down in order to start the game, Hofstra got on the scoreboard first as Collins scored on a Goeke fielder's choice. Towson responded with a three-run second inning two take a two-run lead, an advantage that would hold up the remainder of the way for the Tigers. After a scoreless third frame, Towson took command, plating nine runs across the fourth and fifth innings.
 
The Hofstra offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth when Goeke crushed her third home run of the season, also scoring Giordano who walked and Scarpato who pulled a double down the left field line. A Collins infield single was good for Hofstra's fifth run of the game while also avoiding the mercy rule victory for Towson.
 
Scarpato pitched two hitless innings in the sixth and seventh, while Hofstra added three additional runs off a Giordano home run to left field, her 10th of the season, with two outs in the bottom of the seventh. Giordano's blast was able to trim Towson's lead to four runs after being down by as many as 11, but the rally was too late as a ground out allowed the Tigers to level the series at one win each.
 
Freshman Mackenzie Suto suffered the loss, pitching 4.1 total innings with six strikeouts, just one away from her season-high. Scarpato tossed 2.2 innings and relief, allowing zero runs and just one hit.
 
Game 2: Towson 4, Hofstra 3 (8 inn.)
Game two started almost exactly how game one did, as Towson once again was retired in order before Hofstra scored one run in the bottom half of the first inning, as Hallam ripped a double to left center on the first pitch of her at bat, eventually advancing to third and scoring on a wild pitch. The Pride added a pair of runs on three hits in the bottom of the third with back-to-back RBI by Giordano and Scarpato, extending the Pride lead to 3-0 after three.
 
Towson chipped into the Hofstra lead in its next at bats, scoring two unearned runs to close the gap to just one. The next three innings were scoreless for each squad, sending the rubber match into extra innings.
 
It didn't take long for the Tigers to strike in extras, when pitcher Sarah Johnson lined an RBI single to right field for Towson's fourth-straight tally. The Pride got out of the inning and put two runners on in the bottom of the eighth with a hit by pitch and single to right field by Goeke, but strikeout and double play settled the series with Towson earning the win.
 
Freshman Madison Burns suffered the loss, pitching all eight innings while surrendering just one earned run while striking out three.
 
Up Next:
Hofstra will next travel to UNCW for a road series against the Seahawks at Boseman Field. The doubleheader will take place on Saturday, April 27 at noon with a single game following on Sunday, April 28 at 12 p.m.
 
Notes:
-Hofstra continues to lead the all-time series against Towson, 72-22
-Giordano broke into the top-10 at Hofstra in RBI in a single season, now with 49 on the year. She is currently seventh all-time, surpassing Maggie Hawkins who had 48 RBI in 2014.
-Goeke extended her hitting streak and reached base streak to nine games while Collins extended her reached base streak to 10 games
-Collins stole three of four bases over the course of both games
-Hallam and Collins reached base successfully on each opportunity in game two