Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra University softball team completed a perfect week with its second-straight doubleheader sweep of UMass Lowell on Sunday afternoon at Bill Edwards Stadium. Hofstra, now 6-4 on the season) took game one by a 4-1 score before capping off the day with a 7-4 victory. UMass Lowell dropped to 2-7 following Sunday's action.
Eight Pride players recorded a hit on the day as graduate student
Kristin Hallam tallied a team-high three hits with two RBI and two runs scored while also going an unblemished 4-for-4 in stolen bases. Sophomore
Chelsea Manto and senior
Devyn Losco each recorded a pair of hits while junior
Jaycee Ruberti drove in three runs to lead the Pride.
Game 1: Hofstra 4, UMass Lowell 3
The Riverhawks got on the scoreboard with one run in the top of the third inning, but Hofstra had the immediate answer in the bottom half of the frame with three runs on three hits. Losco got the inning started with a base hit through the right side and was eventually singled home by Hallam. Manto then beat out an infield single before Hallam scored on an error by the Riverhawks on the same play. Ruberti grounded out to second base for the second out of the inning, but Manto came around to score to increase Hofstra's lead to two.
Freshman
Brianna Morse capped off the score at 4-1 when she blasted an opposite-field solo home run, the first of her career.
Junior pitcher
Madison Burns earned her second-straight win with another excellent outing in the circle as she tossed a complete game with a season-high six strikeouts. Ryley White (2-2
Game 2: Hofstra 7, UMass Lowell 4
The visitors scored first for the second-straight game in the top of the third, but Hofstra responded again in a big way with four runs during their next at-bats.
Meghan Giordano walked in a run and
Angelina Ioppolo recorded a sacrifice fly before Goeke singled up the middle to drive in two.
One inning later, Hofstra did the rest of its damage as Hallam recorded an RBI ground out and Ruberti ripped a double to right field to plate Manto and
Kayla Wilson who reached on singles earlier in the frame. UMass Lowell chipped back with two runs in the fifth and one more in the seventh, but
Nikki Mullin was able to shut the Riverhawks down as Hofstra claimed the 7-4 victory.
Freshman
Annabella Pisapia picked up the win on the rubber, improving to 2-0 on the season.
Up next:
Hofstra looks forward to beginning Colonial Athletic Association action next weekend at the University of Delaware. The Pride will visit the Blue Hens for a doubleheader on Saturday, March 27 at 12 and 2 p.m. before capping off the weekend with a single-game on Sunday at 12 p.m.
Notes:
-Hofstra has now won five-straight games, the longest streak since the Pride won seven-straight in 2019
-Hofstra tied a program-record with seven stolen bases in game two (7-of-7). Hofstra went a perfect 9-for-9 on stolen bases for the day.
-During the four-game series,
Chelsea Manto led Hofstra with a .556 batting average while
Jaycee Ruberti drove in five runs to lead the Pride
