Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra softball team opened up its season at home on a beautiful Friday afternoon with a pair of games at the Hofstra Invitational. The Pride first defeated Iona, 3-0 before falling to Syracuse, 6-0.
 
Game 1: Hofstra 3, Iona 0
 
The Pride needed just one inning to do all of its damage, as Hofstra capitalized on two hits and two errors for its trio of runs in the second. With no outs and the bases loaded, Devyn Losco lofted a base hit to left field, scoring Angelina Ioppolo who reached base on an error to lead off the inning. Chelsea Manto drove in Madison McKevitt on a fielder's choice one batter later, and Meghan Giordano walked with the bases loaded for Hofstra's third run.
 
Hofstra put three runners on base in the third with Ioppolo leading off the inning with a single through the right side, but after Amanda Maffucci reached on an error to load the bases, the Gaels recorded two-straight outs to end the inning.
 
Annabella Pisapia (1-0) was brilliant in the circle for her start of the season, tossing a complete-game shutout with a career-high nine strikeouts. Her nine strikeouts shattered her previous career-high of four, and it was also her first career complete game. Kara Zazzaro (3-5) took the loss for the Gaels.
 
Game 2: Hofstra 0, Syracuse 6
 
After two scoreless frames, Tessa Galipeau put the Orange on the scoreboard with a base hit to right field. In the bottom of the third, Losco doubled down the left field line with one out, but Hofstra was unable to get anything else out of the inning.
 
Syracuse scored four runs in the top of the fifth to pull away a bit from Hofstra, as Kelly Breen hit a home run to left center field to bring the score to 5-0. Gianna Iaquinto added Hofstra's final hit of the game in the fifth before Hofstra put runners on first and second in the sixth, but Syracuse put things out of reach for the Pride in the to of the seventh as Breen added an RBI double to bring the score to 6-0.
 
Julia Apsel threw 4.2 innings inside the circle and struck out four batters before Nikki Mullin pitched 2.1 innings in relief. Lindsey Hendrix (5-2) earned the win for Syracuse.
 
Up Next:
The Pride is back at Bill Edwards Stadium for two more games on Sunday, March 20 to close out the Hofstra Invitational. Hofstra will open up the day against Syracuse at 12:30 p.m. before taking on Iona in the nightcap at 3 p.m.
 
Notes:
-Hofstra is now 4-14 on the season
-The Pride is 21-0 all-time against Iona
-Devyn Losco had two hits on the day including one double
-Hofstra played a clean game in the field and did not make an error all day in 56 chances