Hempstead, NY – The Hofstra softball team went toe-to-toe against one of the best teams in the country in #12/13 Missouri, giving the nationally-ranked Tigers all they had in a 2-1 defeat in nine innings in front of a packed Bill Edwards Stadium on a chilly March evening.
 
Hofstra slips to 7-17 following the defeat, and Missouri improves to 27-7 after its extra-inning win over the Pride and a 20-0 victory against Fordham earlier in the day from Bill Edwards Stadium. Missouri entered today's doubleheader ranked 12th in the latest NFCA/USA Today poll and #13 in the newest ESPN.com/USA Softball Rankings.
 
Hofstra pitcher Julia Apsel and Missouri's Laurin Krings dueled it out from the pitcher's circle, as Krings retired the first six Hofstra batters and Apsel struck out two Tigers batters in two scoreless innings. Missouri pulled ahead in the third inning after Alex Honnold tallied a two-out triple and Maddie Gallagher drove her home with a single up the middle for the first run of the evening. Hofstra saw Chelsea Villar and Tyler Douglas reach base on back-to-back singles with no outs, but they couldn't bring either of them home as Krings retired three straight batters to end the inning.
 
After two scoreless innings for both sides and a shutout sixth inning for Apsel against the Tigers, Becca Vaillancourt stepped to the plate with one out in the bottom of the sixth. On a 1-2 count, Vaillancourt made contact and sent the ball sailing through the Hempstead night air just out of reach of Missouri left fielder Mya Dodge and over the wall for the game-tying home run.
 
A scoreless seventh inning for both sides sent the game into extra innings, where Apsel continued to stymie the potent Missouri offense until the ninth inning. After Alex Daly led off the inning with a single and advanced all the way to third after the next two Missouri batters, Stefania Abruscato delivered the go-ahead run on a line-drive single just past the outstretched glove of a diving Nicole Cancel.
 
Douglas, Vaillancourt, Villar, and Mackenzie Fitzgerald all tallied hits for the Pride against the Tigers, while Olivia Malinowski drew the lone Hofstra walk in today's game. Despite the loss, Apsel pitched an absolute gem for the Blue and Gold, going nine innings and striking out six batters against four hits and four walks.
 
Hofstra resumes its CAA schedule this Friday, March 29, when the Pride travels down to Wilmington, North Carolina, to take on UNCW at 6 p.m.
 
NOTES:
-Apsel has struck out at least six batters for the third time this season.
-Today was the first time Hofstra hosted a nationally-ranked opponent since hosting #10 James Madison in a three-game series in 2017.
-Hofstra is now 1-4 all-time against Missouri. This was the first meeting against the Tigers since the 2013 NCAA Tournament, and the first regular season contest against Missouri since 1995.