Rockville Centre, NY – After allowing a three-run home run on her first pitch in relief in the second inning,
Emma Falen settled in and shut down the Drexel bats as the Hofstra softball team clinched the series sweep with a 9-5 win over the Dragons from the RVC Sports Complex in Rockville Centre, New York in CAA action.
Hofstra improves to 16-14 overall and 11-1 in league play with its sixth consecutive win over a CAA opponent, while Drexel now sits at 13-15 overall and 3-6 in the conference.
Drexel scored its first two runs of the series in the first inning with a two-run double to the corner in left field, but Hofstra responded with nine runs in their half of the inning to take a 9-2 lead.
Ryleigh Smith put Hofstra on the board with a bases-loaded single, while
Gabby Sultan slid safely to beat the throw home on a dribbler by
Nicole Cancel to tie the score at 2-2.
Chelsea Villar scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat to put the Pride in front, and
Mackenzie Fitzgerald drove a double to the wall in right center to clear the bases and score another two runs. After a sacrifice bunt moved Fitzgerald over to third,
Lily Yepez singled her home to make it 6-2, and following a single by
Alanna Morse,
Dahlia Palacio slammed a three-run home run to right for a seven-run lead.
Drexel answered back with a no-out three-run homer on Falen's first pitch of the day, cutting Hofstra's lead to four, but the senior pitcher settled in and didn't allow another Drexel runner to cross home plate for the remainder of the game. The Dragons threatened at several points in the game, including in the fourth inning with the bases loaded, but Falen and the Hofstra defense got themselves out of the jam every time without allowing any damage.
Yepez led with three of Hofstra's nine hits against the Dragons. Falen finished the day with the win, striking out nine Drexel batters in six innings and 86 pitches, while
Madison Steppe recorded two strikeouts in one inning from the circle and 42 pitches.
Hofstra is on the road for a doubleheader against Saint Peter's on Tuesday, March 31, beginning at 1 p.m.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 85-19 all-time against Drexel. The Pride has won the last five series against Drexel since 2022.
-The Pride outhit Drexel 36-8 over the three-game series.
-Yepez is now up to eight multi-hit games this season, more than her freshman and sophomore seasons combined.
-Morse has now recorded a hit in 11 straight games, and Sultan is now at a 10-game hitting streak.
