TOWSON, Md. - Four first inning runs proved to be enough as the Tigers defeated Hofstra, 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in Colonial Athletic Association play. Towson (25-14, 7-5 CAA) got a complete game seven strikeout performance from Katie Lingmai.
"I thought we did well on all three sides of the ball (hitting, pitching, defense) today," said Acting head coach Dottie Cupp. "When you can combine all three it's usually a good day."
Cupp was serving as the Tigers' head coach for the day after Lisa Costello was ejected in game-two of Saturday's doubleheader.
After Lingmai set the Pride down in order in the top of the first, the Tigers wasted little time in getting the offense going in the bottom half of the frame. Rachel Miller led off with a triple to the wall in center field and scored on Kim Lempa's single up the middle. Lempa would cross the plate as Sammi DiPompo ripped a double down the left field line. Lempa's run was the 100th run scored of her career. She is the eighth person in program history to score over 100 runs in her career.
Mindy Bean followed DiPompo's double with an infield single to put runners on first and third. After Hofstra got the first out of the inning, Joyce Delp singled up the middle and gave the Tigers' a 4-0 lead.
Hofstra cut the Tiger lead in half in the third inning. Kris Root reached on a one-out infield hit and Michele DePasquale hit a two-run home run to right center. Lingmai was able to get the final two outs of the inning to limit the damage.
Trailing 4-2, the Pride had one more chance in the top of the seventh. With two outs in the frame, Root reached on another infield hit and DePasquale singled to put runners on first and third. Tessa Ziemba had a double to score Root and make it a 4-3 game. However, Lingmai got Olivia Galati to pop up to second base to end the game.
Lingmai hurled her 11th complete game of the season to earn her ninth win of the year. She allowed three runs on eight hits in the game. She struck out seven and walked two. Galati took the loss for the Pride, just her third on the year and first since March 14 against current No. 2 Michigan. She allowed four runs on six hits in 1.1 innings of work. Erin Wade threw the final 4.2 innings and allowed just two hits.
DiPompo led the Tigers with two hits, a run scored and an RBI while Delp finished with a hit and two RBIs. Lempa added a hit, a run scored and an RBI for the home team.
Hofstra, which had a 13-game win streak snapped, got two hits and two runs scored from Root. DePasquale had two hits, two RBIs and a run scored.
Towson returns to action when it hosts Villanova in a doubleheader on Tuesday, April 20 at 3 p.m.
-- TIGERS --
