Jersey City, NJ – The Hofstra softball team kept its winning ways going with a doubleheader sweep of Saint Peter's, defeating the Peacocks 9-4 in the first game before posting a 6-4 comeback win from Jaroschak Field. Hofstra improves to 18-14 with its fifth consecutive wins, while Saint Peter's falls to 4-21.
After
Alanna Morse led off the first game with a double and a stolen base, she crossed home safely on an outfield single by
Dahlia Palacio, and the first baseman rounded the bases to score on a double by
Gabby Sultan. After Sultan advanced to third on a groundout, she took advantage of a grounder to the pitcher to score and make it 3-0 after one inning.
Chelsea Villar scored a sacrifice fly RBI to make it a 4-0 game in the third inning, but Saint Peter's halved the Pride's lead in the bottom half with back-to-back RBI singles.
After walks to
Emily Jovel and
Lily Yepez put runners on first and second with two outs, Morse blasted a 1-1 pitch for a three-run home run to up Hofstra's lead to five runs over the hosts, and the lead grew even further with another Morse home run – this time a two-run shot – to put Hofstra ahead 9-2 in the sixth inning. Saint Peter's hit a two-run home run of their own in the bottom of the sixth, but
Casey McKeon and the Hofstra defense allowed no further runs to win the first game. Singles by Sultan and Villar brought Palacio home to make it a 4-2 score after five innings. With one out in the sixth inning and runners on second and third, Morse evened the score at 4-4 with a two-run single to the outfield, and the Pride pulled ahead after a Palacio walk with a Sultan single to score two.
Saint Peter's scored four runs in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead and held the Pride bats in check, allowing no Hofstra base runner past second base for much of the game until the fifth inning. After Jovel led off the fifth with a four-pitch walk, she advanced all the way to third on back-to-back groundouts, and Palacio drove a single to right field to score and make it a three-run deficit. After allowing a lead-off single to open the sixth inning,
Jillian Locher retired the next six Saint Peter's batters to secure the come-from-behind win.
Morse collected four hits in eight total at-bats today and recorded seven RBIs, while Sultan drove in three runs on three hits in the doubleheader. Locher and McKeon both picked up their first collegiate wins on Tuesday, with McKeon pitching all seven innings and tallying three strikeouts, and Locher earning the win with five strikeouts in 6.2 innings from the circle.
The Pride continues its midweek run with a 2 p.m. road contest on Wednesday against Fordham.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 6-1 all-time against Saint Peter's.
-Hofstra stole eight bases across both games.
-Morse has tied her season-high of 27 RBIs with her seven runs batted in today.
