Fairfax, VA – Hofstra Head Softball Coach
Susan Cassidy-Lyke earned her first win as head coach of the Pride on Saturday, as Hofstra split its doubleheader to conclude the George Mason Tournament. Hofstra won 9-3 over FDU early in the day, followed by a 6-3 defeat to hosts George Mason to put Hofstra at 1-7 overall.
After
Alanna Morse drew a lead-off walk against the Knights and stole consecutive bases to reach third, she took advantage of a throwing error by the catcher to put the Pride on top 1-0 in the first inning. Although neither side was able to put another run across home plate for the next three innings, Hofstra extended the lead to three with a two-run fifth inning courtesy of an RBI double by
Gabby Sultan and an RBI single by
Chelsea Villar.
The Pride took a commanding 8-0 lead in the next inning with five runs on three hits.
Mackenzie Fitzgerald and
Victoria Frobosilo drew back-to-back walks to open the sixth, and
Gemma D'Orazio loaded the bases with no outs on an infield single. A run scored on a bases-loaded walk to
Ryleigh Smith, and
Tyler Douglas made it 5-0 Pride with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Morse broke the game open with a two-run double on the next at-bat, and
Dahlia Palacio capped off the inning with an RBI single to score Morse and up the lead to 8-0.
FDU got on the board in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI double, but Hofstra put the difference back at eight in the top of the seventh when
Nicole Cancel scored home from third on a wild pitch. The Knights added another two runs in the bottom of the seventh before
Emma Falen and the Hofstra defense recorded the final out of the game.
D'Orazio, Morse, and Sultan recorded two hits each in the game, while Frobosilo and Smith were both walked three times apiece.
Emma Brennan allowed no runs in 3.0 innings to pick up her first win of the season, while Falen pitched 4.0 innings of relief work and struck out five FDU batters.
In the second game of the day against the Patriots, the hosts scored the opening run in the second inning before tacking on another two in the third to take a 3-0 lead. Hofstra answered back with a three-run fourth inning. With Sultan and Villar on first and second, Fitzgerald smacked a double down the left field line to score Sultan and put the Pride on the board. After Frobosilo drew a walk to load the bases, Cancel tied the game with a two-run single. However, George Mason responded with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to retake the lead for good.
Frobosilo led Hofstra with two hits against the Patriots, while Cancel, Fitzgerald, and Palacio all finished with one hit.
Madison Steppe and
Kailyn Haig both pitched three innings and recorded two strikeouts each against George Mason.
Hofstra returns to the diamond again at the Lakeside Book Company Invitational in Harrisonburg, Virginia from February 27-March 1, beginning on Friday against Buffalo at 1 p.m.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 3-1 all-time against FDU and 31-6 all-time against George Mason.
-Palacio has extended her hitting streak to seven consecutive games.
