Louisville, KY - Head softball coach Adrienne Clark picked up her first head coaching victory on Friday afternoon as the Hofstra softball team split a pair of games on the first day of the Cardinal Classic hosted by the University of Louisville. Hofstra defeated the University of Louisville in game one before falling to Western Michigan in the nightcap.
 
Game 1: Hofstra 2, Louisville 1
 
Hofstra (1-9) recorded a pair of hits by Sam Ward in Angelina Ioppolo in two of the first three innings with Ioppolo getting into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt in the third, but it was Louisville who struck first as Carmyn Greenwood reached on a fielding error, allowing the Cardinals to score following a one-out triple to left field. Julia Apsel shut the door with a looking strikeout to end the threat.
 
Hofstra did all of the damage it would need in the fourth inning as Kasey Collins drew a walk to lead off the frame, advanced to second on a ground out and moved to third on a wild pitch with one out. Madison McKevitt drove a pitch deep into left-center field, allowing Collins to easily score and knot the ballgame up, 1-1. Brianna Morse drew a walk in Hofstra's next at bat, and Angelina Ioppolo laced a single through the right side to continue the rally and give Hofstra a 2-1 advantage.
 
Louisville (8-7) led off with a single to left in the bottom of the fourth and moved to second with a stolen base, but the Hofstra defense stood strong with three-straight out including the third strikeout of the game for Apsel. In the bottom of the fifth, Louisville's Greenwood made some noise with a two-out triple to right field, but Apsel once again stayed composed and shut the door with a fly out to left field. Louisville continued to push and put a runner in scoring position with one out in the sixth but another strike out and foul out ended Louisville's chances of scoring in the sixth.
 
Apsel allowed one runner to reach base in the bottom of the seventh with one out but Hofstra recorded back-to-back outs to secure the Pride's first victory of the season. Apsel tossed her second complete game of the season, struck out five batters, walked just one, and did not allow an earned run.  
 
Game 2: Hofstra 0, Western Michigan 4
 
Hofstra (1-10) struggled to get the bats going in game two as the Pride accumulated only three hits including singles by Chelsea Manto in the first and Gianna Iaquinto and Devyn Losco in the fifth. Iaquinto and Losco's base hits loaded the bases for Hofstra with one out, but the Pride was unable to push anything across.
 
Western Michigan (3-6) took a 1-0 lead after the first inning with a base hit to center field with two outs. The Broncos plated three unearned runs in the sixth including a two-RBI double by Darcy Barkauskas.
 
Haley Venturini pitched 5.2 innings for the Pride, surrendered just one earned run and struck out five batters.
 
Up Next:
Hofstra continues play at the Cardinal Classic tomorrow, Saturday, March 5. Hofstra will take on Western Michigan at 10 a.m. before facing Illinois at 12:30 p.m.