Farmingdale, NY – The Hofstra softball team hung 12 runs on Drexel in the first two innings and never looked back as the Pride opened its CAA series against the Dragons with a dominating 16-0 win from FSC Softball Complex on the campus of Farmingdale State College.
Hofstra improves to 14-14 overall and 9-1 in league play with its fourth consecutive conference win, and Drexel drops to 13-13 overall and 3-4 in league play.
Gabby Sultan drove in the first run of the game on a groundout before
Chelsea Villar drove a 1-0 pitch over the centerfield wall to make it 3-0, and
Victoria Frobosilo doubled home a pair to end the first inning with the Pride leading by five.
Alanna Morse opened the second inning with a double, and
Dahlia Palacio sent an 0-1 pitch over the wall for a two-run home run to make it 7-0. With the bases loaded, Villar took advantage of a wild pitch to cross home and up the lead to eight, and
Mackenzie Fitzgerald singled home Sultan and
Gemma D'Orazio to put the lead at 10, followed by a Palacio single to the outfield with the bases loaded once again to put the score at 12-0 Hofstra.
Fitzgerald drove home her third RBI of the day with a line-drive single over the shortstop in the third, while the Pride would score three more in the fourth inning on a Morse solo home run, a sacrifice fly by
Emily Jovel, and Sultan taking advantage of a wild pitch.
Palacio went 4-4 at the plate with four RBIs, while Morse and Villar both went 3-3. Fitzgerald brought in three RBIs, and Frobosilo and Villar also had multi-RBI days with two apiece.
Madison Steppe was in complete control from inside the circle, picking up the complete game win with four strikeouts in 74 pitches.
The series resumes on Saturday at 2 p.m. from FSC Softball Complex.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 83-19 all-time over Drexel. This was Hofstra's fifth consecutive win over the Dragons and 10th win in the last 11 meetings.
-This is the first time Hofstra has scored 16 runs in a game since April 17, 2018 against Wagner.
-Palacio's four hits are a new single-game high and her four RBIs ties a personal-best set against UNCW on April 11, 2025.
-Steppe only allowed three Drexel batters to reach base.
-This was Morse's team-leading 12th multi-hit game of the season.
