Seton Hall University
Hofstra
Softball Falls to Hofstra
4/17/2013 12:00:00 AM | Softball
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – The Seton Hall University softball team lost a pair of games to Hofstra University, 8-0 and 9-1, in a doubleheader at Mike Sheppard, Sr. Field on Tuesday afternoon in South Orange, N.J.
Junior Maria DeLuca (Cedar Grove, N.J.) went 2-for-3 in game one and tallied her third base hit of the day in the night cap of the doubleheader.
Sophomore Casey Moses (Lower Burrell, Pa.) saw action as a reliever in both games, finishing the day with six strikeouts and she also tallied a standup double in the fifth inning of game two, scoring the Pirates only run of the game later in the inning.
Hofstra pitcher Olivia Galati gave up five hits with nine strikeouts in seven innings in game one. She entered the week ranked third in NCAA Division I in strikeouts, shutouts and wins.
-- Game One --
Hofstra broke open a scoreless game one by posting five runs in the top of the fourth inning. The Pirates had recorded base hits in the second and third innings but were unable to string base runners together. DeLuca singled through the right side to lead off the SHU half of the second and freshman Yasmin Harrell (Cheektowaga, N.Y.) picked up a bunt single in the third.
It was a pair of fourth-inning homers that enabled the Pride to take control of the game. Jess Hirschbuhl led off the frame with a solo shot out to right center, and Kim Smith drove in three runs with one swing of a bat, homering to left field.
Hofstra would score twice more in the sixth and notch its eighth run of the game on a Caryn Bailey home run to lead off the seventh.
Seton Hall recorded base hits in five innings but was lacking a timely hit to spark the offense. Sophomore Danielle DeStaso (Congers, N.Y.) threw three innings and earned the loss, allowing five runs, just three earned, with three strikeouts in three innings.
-- Game Two --
Erin Trippi hit a two-RBI triple down the line in right field to provide Hofstra with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first in game two.
Seton Hall starter Jen Metzger (Pine Hill, N.J.) settled in after that big base hit, retiring eight more batters before yielding another hit. But the Pride came up with seven more runs in the fourth to take a 9-0 lead.
The seven scores came on five hits. D.J. Slugh had a two-RBI single to left field and Trippi tacked on two more RBI to her total with a base knock up the middle.
The Pirates put two runners on early in the fourth as DeLuca came up with her third base hit of the day and junior Meredith Henze (Elkton, Md.) drew a one-out walk but Hofstra navigated the threat with a pair of groundouts.
Moses shutdown the Pride offense in the fifth then led off the SHU half of the inning with a double down the left field line. Sophomore Colltey Sheldon (Peoria, Ariz.) moved Moses over to third via a single into left and Harrell fouled out to deep left field, enabling Moses to tag up at third.
Metzger struck out two in 3.1 innings and Moses threw the final 1.1 innings, giving up one unearned run on a pair of hits with a strikeout.
Seton Hall returns to action this weekend when it heads to upstate New York for a three-game series against BIG EAST foe Syracuse on Saturday-Sunday, April 20-21.
