HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Towson University softball team dropped both decisions to Hofstra on Sunday afternoon in a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) doubleheader at Hofstra Softball Stadium. The Tigers fell 14-6 (5 innings) in game one and were narrowly edged 6-4 in game two.
 
Game One: Hofstra 14, Towson 6
 
Hofstra (15-7-1, 6-0 CAA) used a nine-run second inning to defeat the Tigers in game one of the doubleheader. The Tigers started the game with a three-run lead in the first inning as junior Olivia Yarbrough, senior Haley Balk and freshman Brook Miko scored.
 
The Pride led off the bottom of the second with back-to-back home runs by freshmen Megan Patierno and Brielle Pietrafesa. A long half-inning brought Pietrafesa back up to bat where she smashed her second homer of the inning. Her blast scored Patierno and sophomore Michaela Transue to put Hofstra ahead 11-3.
 
Towson (10-14, 0-6 CAA) attempted a comeback in the top of the fifth-inning, scoring three runs on two homers. Sophomore Holiday Cahill knocked the first home run to center field. Sophomore Jessica South hit a two-run homer to left field to bring the Tigers within six runs.
 
The Pride used another homer in the bottom of the fifth, this time a two-run home run by freshman Brittany Allocca, to secure the 14-6 win and end the game in five innings.
 
Yarbrough, Balk and South led the Tigers with two hits each. South and sophomore Tateum Valentine both recorded two RBIs for the game while Cahill had a team-high six putouts.
 
Senior Missy McCormick gave up four runs and four hits in the first inning for the Tigers. Junior Ambar Hickman came on in relief action to pitch the final 3.0 innings. She finished the game with 10 runs and nine hits against her. Both McCormick and Hickman recorded three strikeouts and walked two batters.
 
Senior Taylor Pirone pitched the first 4.0 innings for the Pride, striking out seven batters and walking just one. She gave up three runs and six hits during the four innings pitched. Sophomore Jessica Peslak pitched the final inning for the Pride, allowing three runs and four hits while striking out two batters.
 
Game Two: Hofstra 6, Towson 4
 
The Pride relied on a pair of two-run homers to earn the win over the Tigers in the final game of the weekend series. Junior Kim Smith blasted one to left field in the third inning to score junior Chloe Fitzgerald. Patierno hit her second home run of the day in the fifth inning that brought Transue in.
 
Towson got on the board first, scoring in the second inning on a home run by Valentine, her second of the day. The Tigers scored three in the fourth as both Cahill and McCormick smashed homers to the left field. Cahill's solo home run was her second of the day while McCormick's scored Valentine.
 
The Pride scored once in the fourth and twice in the fifth to secure the 6-4 win.
 
Freshman Megan Dejter gave up six runs and 10 hits in the first 5.0 innings of the game. She struck four batters out and walked just two. McCormick came on in relief, pitching the final inning, striking out a batter and giving up only one hit.
 
Senior Morgan Lashley allowed four runs and five hits in the first 4.0 innings. She recorded three strikeouts and walked just one batter during the four frames. Pirone earned the win after pitching the final 3.0 innings. She struck out five batters, walking just one and allowing only two hits.
 
Towson will travel to George Mason on Tuesday, March 31 for a non-conference doubleheader that begins at 2:30 p.m. The Tigers will then return home to host Norfolk State for a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday, April 1 at 2 p.m.