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Hofstra University Athletics

Hofstra Softball - 2010 Champs

HOFSTRA SOFTBALL ENDS ANOTHER STORYBOOK SEASON

5/25/2010 6:00:00 PM

Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Softball program added another chapter to its remarkable history in 2010, tying the school record for wins in a season (45-12) and ending with a 12-inning loss to No. 3 Arizona in the NCAA Regional finals on Sunday.

Hofstra began the year with a thrilling 10-inning comeback win in a 12-11 game against North Dakota State on Feb. 19, and ended the year as eight-time national champion Arizona came back with six runs in the 12th inning for a 10-6 win in the regional finals in front of 2,278 fans. It was Hofstra's fourth NCAA regional finals appearance in the last seven years, and its best postseason showing since 2004, when the Pride was one win shy of the Women's College World Series in the NCAA Regional at Stanford.

Hofstra defeated No. 14 Oklahoma State twice in the Tucson Regional, increasing its total to 16 NCAA Tournament wins since 2000, including eight wins over nationally ranked teams (No. 7 Stanford, No. 11 Nebraska, No. 12 Auburn, No. 14 Oklahoma State twice, No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette and No. 25 Southern Illinois twice). Hofstra has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances since 2000, and has won at least one game in all nine of them.

It isn't just a cliche to say that Hofstra left everything it had on the field at Arizona's Hillenbrand Stadium. Senior first baseman Michele DePasquale (Waterford, N.J.), who graduated in the top 10 in Hofstra history in both hits (206) and RBI (109), tore the posterior cruciate ligament in her knee on her leadoff double in the ninth inning, and played through it, recording the go-ahead RBI single in the 12th. Freshman pitcher Olivia Galati (West Babylon, N.Y.) was hit in her pitching hand on a check swing against Arizona on Sunday, and stayed in the circle despite some swelling, throwing seven exceptionally strong innings of relief through the injury. Freshman designated player Rachael Senatore (Sparta, N.J.) was forced into pinch-running duty after the ball hit her in the finger on a bunt attempt against Oklahoma State on Saturday, while senior center fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, Pa.) played all weekend with lower back stiffness.

Hofstra also received big plays and timely hits from everyone in its line-up during its postseason run through the CAA Tournament to the NCAA Regional finals. Sophomore second baseman Jess Hirschbuhl (Jamison, Pa.) started the postseason with a walk-off grand slam in the Pride's 7-3 win over Towson on May 12. Junior catcher Laura Valentino (Smithtown, N.Y.) had the game-winning RBI single in the championship game against Georgia State, when Galati threw the first no-hitter in CAA Tournament history. Junior shortstop Trisha Dreslinski (Kingsville, Ohio) hit a huge three-run homer in the Pride's 8-6 comeback win over Oklahoma State in the first game of the NCAA Regionals, while freshman left fielder Becca Bigler (Bainbridge, Pa.) had the tying RBI single in the first meeting with the Cowgirls, added an RBI double in the second game against Oklahoma State, and started the Pride's 12th inning rally in the regional finals against Arizona with a single.

DePasquale added to her long list of clutch hits in her career with the go-ahead two-run double against Oklahoma State on Saturday, and then had a leadoff double in the ninth against Arizona in the regional finals, as well as the go-ahead RBI single in the 12th. She reached base six of seven times in her final collegiate game, batting 2-for-3 with three walks and a fielder's choice on a successful sacrifice bunt. Junior third baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, Pa.) had the tying single in the seventh inning of the Towson comeback win in the CAA Tournament, added a huge two-run homer in the 5-2 win over Oklahoma State, and drew a bases-loaded walk in the 12th inning against Arizona to push Hofstra's lead to 6-4. Freshman right fielder Tessa Ziemba (Wilmington, Del.) started the Pride off with a two-run double in the first inning against Arizona in the regional finals, and was 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI in the CAA championship game.

Senior center fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, Pa.) was 3-for-5 in the first game against Oklahoma State to extend her hitting streak to 19 games, the second-longest in Hofstra history (behind DePasquale's 25 in 2008) and had a key single in the 12th inning against Arizona in the regional finals to load the bases. Her one-out double also started the Pride's comeback in the Towson game in the CAA Tournament, which was followed by a key slap single from Senatore. Sophomore catcher Courtney Crews (Stafford, Va.) also lined a single and scored a run in the 12th inning against Arizona, while Galati helped her own cause with a solo homer to tie the game at 3-3 in the sixth, after coming on in relief in the bottom of the fifth to retire three straight batters to get out of a two-on, none-out jam.  

Sophomore Erin Wade (Taunton, Mass.) also came up big in the postseason, throwing a three-hitter against James Madison in the CAA Tournament, and coming on in relief to throw two strong innings to get the save against Oklahoma State in the first game of the NCAA Regionals. She also gave Hofstra two strong starts against Arizona's high-powered offense, allowing four earned runs in a combined eight innings of work. Galati capped off her pitching season with a strong effort in relief, allowing only one run on four hits in her first seven innings (with five strikeouts and no walks), before the Wildcats rallied off her in the 12th.

Galati tied the school record for wins in a season with 26, set by Stacy Jackson twice (1992, 1995) and Jen Smith (1997), and tallied the second highest strikeout total in school history (294). Galati also had a 14-game winning streak, third longest in school history, and Wade had a 12-game winning streak, which is tied for fourth. Root was 16-16 stealing bases and finished with 54 in her career, just one shy of the Hofstra record (Root did set the single-season record with 26 as a sophomore in 2008). Ziemba finished her freshman year with 41 RBI, one shy of the school record for a freshman and tying DePasquale for team-high honors.

In addition to tying the program's win record, Hofstra also broke the school record for best fielding percentage at .979, edging out the 2008 team. Both teams committed only 35 errors on the year, but this year's team had six more defensive chances. The Pride also hit 37 home runs this season, led by nine from DePasquale and eight from Michalowski, a big jump from the 14 recorded by last year's squad.

The Pride's CAA championship was its 12th conference tournament title in the last 13 years, after seeing its NCAA record streak of 11 in a row snapped last year by Georgia State in 12 innings (James Madison went on to win the title and advance to the NCAA's). It was also the 19th year in a row that Hofstra has won a conference title of some kind (either regular season or postseason), dating back to 1992 in the East Coast Conference .This year's senior class of DePasquale, Root, Stefanie Feinstein (West Chester, Pa.) and Christie Novatin (Farmingdale, N.J.) graduated without ever losing a conference series, winning 27 and splitting one (a rain-shortened two-game series with Towson in 2007). It was also the second class in school history to win at least 40 games three times, and the players were a part of the only two 45-win seasons in Hofstra annals.

Click above for a photo gallery from the NCAA Regional in Tucson (photos courtesy of J and L Photography), for a season wrap-up video from Head Coach Bill Edwards, and for a column from Arizona Daily Star columnist Greg Hansen about Sunday's epic regional championship game with Arizona.
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