Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra softball team clinched a spot in the upcoming Colonial Athletic Association Championship and earned a Saturday sweep over the Drexel Dragons on a beautiful April day at Bill Edwards Stadium.
Pride improved to 11-5 in the CAA (18-24 overall) while Drexel dropped to 23-23 and 4-13 in the league.
Hofstra had four players scatter multiple hits on the day including a 5-for-8 performance (.625) by the speedy Chelsea Manto who also went a perfect 3-for-3 on stolen base attempts. Meghan Giordano continued her spectacular CAA play as she drove in five runs on a 2-for-3 day at the plate while also drawing two walks and a hit by pitch, recording an .833 on base percentage for the day. Sam Ward posted a pair of doubles and two RBI's, while Madison McKevitt drove in one run on two hits.
Game 1: Hofstra 5, Drexel 1
Hofstra scored three runs before the Dragons recorded an out as Manto led off with a single to third base and Kasey Collins was hit by a pitch before Giordano crushed a pitch straight over the center field wall for her team-leading sixth home run of the season. After both teams went three and out in the second, Drexel plated its lone run of the contest with an RBI single by Sarah Clinton.
Hofstra answered with two more runs in the bottom of the third as Ward drilled an RBI double deep to center field before Aliya Catanzarita added a sacrifice fly in back-to-back plate appearances.
Hofstra was held without a hit until the sixth inning, but the Pride collected two more hits in the sixth when Abby Meehan and Anna Butler posted their first career hits, Meehan's a single up the middle and Butler's a base knock to left-center.
Drexel put a runner in scoring position with two outs in the top of the seventh, but the effort fell short as Hofstra collected the series opening win.
Nikki Mullin had a solid day in the circle, improving to 4-5 on the season with a complete-game performance. Mullin struck out two batters, allowed one earned run on six hits, and did not surrender a walk.
Game 2: Hofstra 5, Drexel 2
The script was flipped in game two as the Dragons were the first to find the scoreboard as Sarah Clinton and Izzy Alamillo strung together back-to-back RBI singles with two outs, forcing a Hofstra pitching change. After a walk, Haley Venturini escaped the inning with a swinging strikeout to put Hofstra back at the plate.
Hofstra chipped into the lead when McKevitt lined a double into the left-center gap, allowing Catanzarita to leg it out all the way home from first base after reaching on a two-out single.
The Pride did more damage in the fifth when Devyn Losco, Manto and Collins loaded the bases to lead off the inning before Giordano smacked a pitch deep to right field and off the wall allowing Manto and Losco to score easily and give Hofstra the lead. Hofstra added two more runs when Collins broke for home following a sacrifice bunt and Ward plated Giordano with a groundout.
Venturini (6-8) picked up the winning decision in the circle after pitching 3.1 scoreless innings without allowing a hit. The freshman also struck out five batters. Annabella Pisapia pitched the first three and two thirds innings and allowed four hits while striking out one.
Up Next:
Hofstra aims for the series sweep against the Dragons tomorrow at Bill Edwards Stadium. First pitch is at 12 p.m. Prior to the contest, Hofstra will honor three seniors, Sam Ward, Madison Burns, and Devyn Losco.
Notes:
-Hofstra is now 74-17 all-time against Drexel
-The Pride earned its fifth CAA series win of the season
-Manto was 4-for-4 with four infield hits in game two, and it was the first time this season that a Pride player recorded four hits in one game
-Manto's reached base streak is now at 24 games while Giordano has reached base in 15-straight contests
-Over the last four CAA series, Giordano is batting .516 with three doubles, five home runs, 16 RBI, .634 on base percentage, nine walks and a 1.097 slugging percentage.
