Tampa, FL - On the second day of THE Spring Games, the Hofstra softball team utilizing timely hitting and excellent pitching to down a pair of tough competition in Coastal Carolina and Holy Cross from Madeira Beach Rec Center in sunny Tampa, Florida.

Hofstra moves to 4-10 overall after today's wins, while Coastal Carolina moves to 15-3 with its loss to the Pride, and Holy Cross drops to 3-6 with losses to the Pride and Southern Indiana on the day.

Game #1: Hofstra 7, Coastal Carolina 2
Kasey Collins had two hits, two runs and two RBIs to help lead the Hofstra softball team to a 7-2 win over Coastal Carolina in the first of Hofstra's Saturday doubleheader..Collins was integral as the Pride opened up a 6-0 lead after four innings. Her double to left field in the third inning brought home Chelsea Manto for Hofstra's first run in the game. Collins came around to score on a fielder's choice from later in the inning to make it 2-0. The Pride broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning to make it 6-0 over the Chanticleers. Angelina Ioppolo smacked a double to center to bring home Meghan Giordano from second, and Iopollo later came home on a throwing error by the Coastal Carolina first baseman to make it 4-0. Manto later scored on a fielder's choice, and a passed ball allowed Collins to score.

The Chanticleers got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning on a solo home run, and they further cut into Hofstra's lead with a two-out RBI single in the sixth inning to make it a 6-2 game. However, Hofstra added another insurance run in the top of the seventh by way of an Ioppolo double, bringing home Becca Vaillancourt from second to make it a 7-2 scoreline.
 
Ioppolo and Olivia Malinowski had two hits apiece, while Ioppolo also scored a run and finished with two RBIs  Collins also picked up two hits for the Pride against Coastal Carolina.
 
Getting runners on base was not a problem for Hofstra, as it had a runner reach safely in six of the seven innings, while Hofstra put on a base running clinic with Collins, Manto, Giana Iaquinto, and Kayla Wilson all stealing bases against Coastal Carolina. The Pride finished with 10 hits against the Chanticleers.
 
In the pitcher's circle, Nikki Mullin pitched five innings to earn her second win of the season. She allowed four hits and struck out one batter. Julia Apsel pitched the final two innings in relief and struck out five batters.

Game #2: Hofstra 3, Holy Cross 2
Hofstra came all the way from behind in the nightcap, overcoming a 2-0 deficit in the win. Holy Cross plated the first two runs on the scoreboard in the top of the first inning, but Hofstra cut into the lead in the third when Chelsea Manto scored from second base on a Holy Cross error in the third inning.
 
Alanna Morse tied things in the bottom of the fourth inning up when she ripped an outside pitch down the right field line, legging out her first career triple to allow Angelina Ioppolo to score all the way from first with two outs.
 
The Pride took the lead in the sixth inning when Anna Butler was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, bringing Becca Vaillancourt home from third. The Hofstra defense clamped down with the final three outs as the Pride secured the Saturday sweep.

Emma Brennan made her first career start and went four innings while giving up seven hits and two runs against three strikeouts. Haley Venturini picked up the win in three innings of relief with two strikeouts and no hits or walks allowed. Morse, Vaillancourt, and Manto all recorded hits against the Crusaders, and Ioppolo reached base on two walks.

The Pride wraps up its time at THE Spring Games on Sunday, March 5, at 9 a.m against Yale (4-5).

NOTES:
-Hofstra improves to 4-1 against Coastal Carolina and 2-0 versus Holy Cross.
-Hofstra's four stolen bases against Coastal Carolina are the most in a game for the Pride since stealing four against Stony Brook on April 6, 2021.
-Kasey Collins recorded her third multi-hit game of the season against Coastal Carolina.