Harrisonburg, Va. – It was a great day to be a member of the Pride on Saturday afternoon as the Hofstra softball team defeated the James Madison Dukes in back-to-back extra-inning games at Veterans Memorial Park. Hofstra won the first game by a score of 4-3 before securing its third-straight series win with a 6-5 victory in game two.
 
Hofstra improved to 6-1 in the Colonial Athletic Association (13-18 overall) and extended its winning streak to four games.
 
Offensively, Meghan Giordano had a big day at the plate, going 4-for-7 with two home runs, three RBI, and three runs scored while also drawing three walks. Devyn Losco, Sam Ward, Angelina Ioppolo, and Chelsea Manto all had a pair of hits while Ioppolo plated two big runs for the Pride in game two.
 
Inside the circle, Julia Apsel was outstanding all day long as she earned both victories for the Pride after tossing 10 solid innings in relief, improving her record to 6-8 this season. Apsel threw the final 5.1 innings in game one and last 4.2 frames in the nightcap where she did not allow a hit. In all, Apsel struck out 10 batters, did not issue a walk, and allowed just three total hits as the opposition hit just .094  against her.
 
Game 1: Hofstra 4, James Madison 3 (9 inn.)
 
James Madison struck first in game one as Emily Phillips homered over the right field wall to give the Dukes a 2-0 lead. After both teams left two runners on base in third, the Pride answered with a pair of runs including a lead-off solo blast by Meghan Giordano to cut the Hofstra deficit in half. Ioppolo followed up with a bunt single and Ward tacked on Hofstra's third-straight hit with a double before Madison McKevitt scored Ioppolo with a base hit down the left field line, bringing the score to 2-2.
 
The home team re-gained the advantage with a two-out RBI single, but Apsel entered the game in the circle and retired the final batter of the inning with a ground out to leave three James Madison runners stranded.
 
Hofstra tied things up in the fifth as Collins scored on a passed ball with two outs, bringing the score to 3-3. That score held through the eighth inning before the Pride set the table perfectly for Giordano in the ninth. Manto led off the inning with an infield single and moved over following Collins at bat before Giordano found the gap in right-center field to easily score Manto for the 4-3 advantage. Apsel retired the side in order in the bottom of the ninth including two strikeouts as Hofstra earned the victory.
 
Game 2: Hofstra 6, James Madison 5 (9 inn.)
 
It was a similar story in the nightcap as the Dukes jumped out to a 2-0 advantage in the first inning before Giordano clocked her second leadoff solo blast of the day to bring things within one in the fourth, 2-1. James Madison pulled away a bit in the fifth inning with three runs on two hits including two solo home runs to stretch the lead out to 5-1. Apsel entered the circle with one out and struck out her final two batters of the inning to get out of the bases loaded jam.
 
Despite recording just one hit in the top of the sixth inning, the Pride plated two runs with the help of a pair of James Madison errors. Sam Ward delivered an RBI double to left before Aliya Catanzarita reached on a throwing error with two outs, allowing Ward to reach home and bring the game within two, 5-3.
 
The defense continued to struggle for the Dukes in the seventh as Losco reached on a throwing error before Collins beat out a single to the shortstop to put runners on first and second. A wild pitch advanced Losco and Collins into scoring position before Ioppolo delivered one of Hofstra's biggest hits of the day when the Pride was down to its final out, a hard-hit two-RBI single up the middle to tie the game up at five to force extra innings.
 
After neither teams had anyone reach base in the eighth, James Madison fell victim to errors once again as Manto and Collins reached on two consecutive miscues by the Dukes. Giordano drew a walk to load the bases before Ioppolo reached on a fielder's choice. Manto was forced out at home, but after the James Madison catcher lost the ball and left the plate, Collins broke for home and safely dove in to give Hofstra its first and only lead of the game, 6-5. Apsel retired the side in order in the ninth to shut the door and secure Hofstra's third-straight CAA series win.
 
Up Next:
Hofstra will look for the series sweep over James Madison tomorrow, April 10 at Veterans Memorial Park. First pitch is set for 1 p.m.
 
Notes:
-Hofstra is now 42-25 all-time against James Madison
-The Pride swept James Madison in a regular season doubleheader for the first time since the 2013 season
-Hofstra is now 2-0 in extra-inning games this season
-Hofstra did not make a single error in 70 total chances. James Madison made six errors in game two.
-The Pride tallied 14 total hits on the day to James Madison's 17