Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra University softball team completed its first sweep of the season on Saturday afternoon as the Pride defeated UMass Lowell in a pair of non-conference contests at Bill Edwards Stadium. Hofstra cruised by the Riverhawks in the first game, 5-0 before taking game two, 3-2.
 
Junior Jaycee Ruberti went 4-for-7 on the day with a pair of RBI while sophomore Chelsea Manto was 3-for-5 at the plate with one RBI and one run. Freshman Brianna Morse and graduate student Kristin Hallam both finished with a pair of hits, while Morse scored a team-high three times for Hofstra.
 
Game 1: Hofstra 5, UMass Lowell 0

Ruberti shined at the plate for Hofstra during game one as she went a perfect 3-for-3 with one run scored, one RBI and one walk. Morse also was 2-for-2 during game one as she drove in one run and scored another. Ruberti started the day off strong on the defensive end as well, as she robbed a home run in center field from UMass Lowell's Sara Siteman during the second inning.
 
Manto broke open the scoring in game one when she drove home Morse with a two-out single to left field in the second. The Pride added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Morse, who led off the inning with a base hit to center field, scored all the way from first base on a Devyn Losco sacrifice bunt that was thrown away by the Riverhawk third baseman.
 
After Ruberti walked and stole second to start the bottom of the fifth, Giordano laced a double to left-center field to make it 3-0 before Morse tacked on another run for Hofstra with an RBI single to the left side. Ruberti added a final run for Hofstra in the bottom of the sixth as Manto scored on a base hit to center field.
 
Junior Madison Burns surrendered just four hits and earned her first win of the season inside the circle, a complete-game shutout with one strikeout.
 
Game 2: Hofstra 3, UMass Lowell 2

UMass Lowell jumped on the Pride early in the nightcap as the Riverhawks scored in the top of the first inning with two-out RBI single. The visitors placed three runners on base in the top of the third, but sophomore Nikki Mullin pitched herself out of a bases loaded jam to keep Hofstra's deficit at one.
 
After the Riverhawks went down in order in the top half of the fourth inning, Hofstra took the lead when graduate student Alexis Goeke drove a two-RBI double to left field, giving Hofstra a 2-1 advantage. In the bottom of the fifth, Hallam led off with a double and two batters later, Ruberti drove home Hallam with Hofstra's second extra-base hit of the inning.
 
UMass Lowell salvaged one run in the top of the sixth,  but the Hofstra defense shut down UMass Lowell the remainder of the way as the Riverhawks went three-up, three down in the top of the seventh.
 
Mullin improved her record to 2-1 on the season inside the circle as she pitched a complete-game with one strikeout.
 
Up Next:
After a short rest, Hofstra will return to action tomorrow, Sunday March 21 for another doubleheader against UMass Lowell. First pitch against the Riverhawks is set for 12 p.m. Visit gohofstra.com/coverage to follow the games along live.

NOTES:
-Hofstra turned three double plays across both games. Entering the game, Hofstra ranks first in the nation with 1.00 double plays per game.
-Hofstra recorded two stolen bases and drew 10 walks
-Hofstra and UMass Lowell faced each other for the first time in program history