TOWSON, Md. – The Hofstra softball team combined to score 26 runs across two games and earned a pair of wins by an eight-run margin or better as the Pride completed a three-game sweep of the Towson Tigers on Saturday afternoon at the Tiger Softball Field.  
 
With the pair of victories on Saturday, Hofstra improved its season mark to 10-6 overall and 4-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association. Towson is now 8-9 overall and 0-3 in the CAA.
 
The Pride offense exploded for 32 hits on the day (20 in game one, 12 in game two), as 11 different Pride players recorded at least one hit and nine hits went for extra bases. Junior center fielder Jaycee Ruberti went 5-for-7 at the dish with a team-high five RBI and four runs scored, while graduate student shortstop Kristin Hallam also went 5-for-7 with five runs scored and one RBI. During game two, Hallam recorded the 200th hit of her storied Hofstra career. 
 
Sophomore Aliya Catanzarita was a key player on Saturday in her first two starts of the season, as she went 3-for-6 on the day with four RBI and two runs scored. Junior Angelina Ioppolo (4-for-9) also drove in four runs while senior Devyn Losco (4-for-6), and junior Meghan Giordano (3-for-6) drove in three runs.
 
Hofstra was lethal on the base paths all day long, as the Pride set a program record with 10 stolen bases in game one, a 31-year-old mark that stood since the 1990 season when Hofstra had seven stolen bases against Villanova. Hofstra's new stolen base mark was tied in the second game, as the Pride went on to swipe 10 bags in game two, led by Hallam who tied a program record with four stolen bases in a single-game. The Pride finished the day an unblemished 20-for-20 on stolen base attempts, and Hallam finished her day 7-for-7, while sophomore Chelsea Manto went 3-for-3, senior Devyn Losco, junior Angelina Ioppolo and Ruberti were 2-for-2, while three other Pride players went 1-for-1.
 
Game 1: Hofstra 14, Towson 6
 
Hallam got Hofstra's big offensive day started with an infield single, eventually scoring on a Ruberti base hit to right field. Towson had the answer with two runs before Hofstra got its first big burst in the top of the second with four runs on six hits. Catanzarita drove home Losco with a base hit before Manto scored Hallam and freshman Brianna Morse with an infield single. Ruberti made it a 5-2 game when Manto scored on a base hit to left field.
 
Another four-hit burst in the fourth increased Hofstra's lead to 9-2 before Hallam put Hofstra at the double-digit run mark in the fifth. Towson chipped back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth, but Hofstra kept pounding away with three runs on three hits in the top of the sixth. Graduate student Alexa Corben put the cherry on top in the top of the seventh with an RBI triple to right field.
 
Hallam finished game one a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs, one RBI and two stolen bases. Manto drove in two runs on one hit, and Ruberti went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Giordano was 2-for-2 with two walks, and Losco was 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBI. Catanzarita was outstanding in her first start of the season with three runs in four at bats with two RBI and one triple.
 
Sophomore Nikki Mullin improved to 3-1 on the season in the circle, tossing a complete-game with one strikeout while surrendering just two earned runs. Madeline Harris (2-2) took the loss for Towson and was charged with 12 earned runs.
 
 
Game 2: Hofstra 12, Towson 2 (5 inn.)
 
For the third-straight game, Hallam reached base to kick off the contest and scored Hofstra's first run of the game, sparking a three-run, three-hit inning for the Pride. Ioppolo followed up with a two-RBI double to left field, opening the score up to 3-0 early on.
 
After two innings, Towson made it a one-run game, but Hofstra responded with that and more as Catanzarita and Morse added back-to-back hits to stretch the Hofstra lead back out to 5-2. After Towson went down in order in the bottom of the third, Hofstra poured on four runs on three hits while capitalizing on three Towson errors with Ioppolo registering an RBI triple during the burst.
 
Hofstra stretched the lead to 10 when Hallam scored on a Ruberti triple before Giordano and Ioppolo recorded back-to-back RBI. Junior Madison Burns retired three of the last four batters to end the game after five innings.
 
Hallam finished game two 2-for-4 at the plate while Ruberti was 3-for-3 with two RBI. Ioppolo went 2-for-4 at the dish a double and triple to go along with four RBI and two runs, while Catanzarita was 2-for-2 with two RBI.
 
Burns improved to 4-5 on the season as she tossed a complete-game with one earned run. Melissa Abrahamian dropped to 3-3 on the year for Towson and surrendered eight earned runs through four innings of work.
 
Up next:
Hofstra is set to continue its stretch of road games on Tuesday, April 6 for a Long Island Rivalry matchup against Stony Brook. First pitch on the east end is set for 1 p.m.
 
NOTES:
-Hofstra extends it all-time record over Towson to 75-22.
-Hofstra's 20 hits in game one were the most since the Pride had 22 against Wagner on March 7, 2019
-Hallam now has scored 143 career runs for Hofstra, tying for sixth all-time in Hofstra program history with Lisa Wambold (2003-06). She needs five more to tie with Tessa Ziemba (2010-13) for fifth.
-Hallam also extended her Hofstra program record in stolen bases to 76
-Hallam recorded her 200th career hit in game two today. She has 202 for her career and needs four more to tie for 10th all-time.