Waco, TX – In the third and final day of the Getterman Classic in Waco, Texas, the Hofstra softball team dropped both of its games to #3 Oklahoma and #23 Baylor, losing 11-3 in five innings to both opponents. Hofstra ends its stay in The Lone Star State with an 0-5 record, while the Sooners are 10-0 after winning all four of its games in Waco, and the Bears ended the week 3-2 to improve their overall record to 6-4.
Game 1: #3 Oklahoma 11, Hofstra 3 (5 innings)
The Pride got off to a hot start against the Sooners with a two-run first inning.
Mackenzie Fitzgerald laid down a successful bunt that brought home
Chelsea Villar, and
Tyler Douglas drove in the second run of the inning on a fielder's choice out, but Oklahoma scored four runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 4-2 lead.
Alanna Morse belted a solo home run clear of the wall in left-center to bring the Pride to within one in the second inning, but it would be the last run scored by the Pride as Oklahoma scored a run in the second and third inning before plating four runs in the fourth inning and a run in the fifth while keeping Hofstra off the board.
Morse and
Dahlia Palacio recorded Hofstra's two hits against the Sooners, while
Nicole Cancel drew a walk.
Haley Venturini and
Emma Falen both saw action in the circle against the four-time reigning national champions.
Game 2: #23 Baylor 11, Hofstra 3 (5 innings)
Much like Hofstra's earlier game against the Sooners, the Pride got on the board in the first inning. After
Dahlia Palacio reached base on a one-out single,
Mackenzie Fitzgerald took a 1-2 pitch for a ride over the wall in left field for a two-run home run. Baylor responded in the bottom of the first with a pair of runs to tie the game at 2-2. Hofstra retook the lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Fitzgerald.
Chelsea Villar drew a lead-off walk, advanced to second on a passed ball, and moved over to third on a fly ball from Palacio. With two outs, Fitzgerald delivered a double to the wall in left field to score Villar and put the Pride ahead 3-2.
Baylor surged in front with a four-run third inning, followed by a one-run fourth inning, and a four-run fifth inning, to take the win over the Pride.
Fitzgerald tallied two of Hofstra's six hits against the Bears and drove in all three Pride runs, while Palacio,
Tyler Douglas,
Victoria Frobosilo, and
Alanna Morse recorded the other four hits, and Villar drew Hofstra's only walk against Baylor.
Carley Ernst got the start in the circle and struck out one batter in 2.2 innings of work.
Emma Brennan and
Haley Venturini also pitched for the Pride.
Hofstra will head to Lynchburg, Virginia for the Liberty Softball Classic from February 21-23. The Pride will first face Charleston Southern and hosts Liberty on Friday, February 21. First-pitch against Charleston Southern is scheduled for 10 a.m., while the Pride will face the Flames at noon.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 1-3 all-time against Oklahoma and 1-4 all-time against Baylor.
-Fitzgerald's home run was the first of her career, and her three RBIs against Baylor were a new career-high.
-Frobosilo stole the first base of her college career against Baylor.
