Hempstead, NY – In a battle between the first and second-place teams in the Colonial Athletic Association, the Hofstra softball team hosted Delaware in a Friday afternoon doubleheader from Bill Edwards Stadium on a chilly afternoon. The Pride earned a come-from-behind 7-5 win over Delaware to take game one, while the Fightin' Blue Hens won game two by a 9-1 score.
 
Hofstra's record moves to 21-24 overall and 13-7 in the CAA following Friday's twin bill, and Delaware is now 26-18 overall and 15-5 against conference competition.
 
Game #1: Hofstra 7, Delaware 5
Delaware pulled in front in the top of the second with a solo home run, and the visitors added to their lead in the third inning on an RBI single and consecutive sacrifice fly RBIs, making the score 4-0 in the early goings. Hofstra clawed back into the game with a run by Meghan Giordano on a Delaware throwing error, and an RBI single from Alanna Morse to make it a two-run deficit after four innings for the Pride.

Delaware added a run in the top of the sixth to make the score 5-2. With two outs and a runner on first, Olivia Malinowski stepped in as the pinch hitter and hit a bloop single into the outfield, allowing Morse to score all the way from first base to begin the late Hofstra rally. After Kayla Wilson reached base on a single, Collins dropped an infield single to score pinch-runner Madison McKevitt from third to put Hofstra's deficit at one. Facing a 2-2 count with two outs and runners at second and third, Manto squeezed a slow dribbler through the legs of Delaware's first baseman, scoring both Hofstra base runners to give Hofstra the 6-5 lead. Manto would later score from third base on a Delaware error, giving Hofstra its insurance run as Anna Butler pitched a one-two-three seventh inning.
 
Giordano and Morse both tallied two hits in game one, while Giordano drew two walks, and Manto drove in a team-best two RBIs. Butler earned the first win of her collegiate career with only one run and two hits allowed in three innings. Julia Apsel got the start in the circle and pitched four innings.
 
Game #2: Delaware 9, Hofstra 1
After two scoreless inning and a combined eight runners left on base, Delaware scored four runs in the third inning before adding a fifth run on a two-run home run in the fourth inning to lead 6-0. Hofstra got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on an Angelina Ioppolo SAC fly, making the score. Delaware put the game out of reach in the seventh inning with a three-run triple to make the final score 9-1 in favor of the Fightin' Blue Hens.
 
Manto recorded two of Hofstra's three hits in game two against Delaware. Nikki Mullin got the start and went 2.1 innings with one strikeout against four runs allowed. Annabella Pisapia and Butler also saw action from the circle.
 
The series between Hofstra and Delaware concludes on Saturday, April 29. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m.

NOTES:
-Hofstra's all-time record is now 75-28 all-time against Delaware.
-Giordano, Collins, and Ioppolo have all reached base in 12 consecutive games.
-Prior to Saturday's first pitch, Hofstra will honor departing seniors Amanda Maffucci, Nikki Mullin, Kasey Collins, Chelsea Manto, Meghan Giordano, and Angelina Ioppolo.