Clearwater, Fla. - Southern Illinois' Jayna Spivey hit a three-run home run in the third inning to break a deadlock as Hofstra lost, 7-5, to the Salukins in the finale of the Leadoff Classic on Sunday morning at the E.C. Moore Complex.

Junior Tori Rocha went 3-for-3 and drove in a run with a second-inning single and senior Tessa Ziemba had two RBIs, including a home run, for the Pride. Hofstra went 1-4 in the tournament and is now 3-7 on the season. Southern Illinois improved to 7-8.

Southern Illinois started the contest strong, getting  back-to-back one-out singles in the top of the first. Hofstra senior pitcher Galati got a strikeout to put herself one out away from escaping trouble, but consecutive wild pitches scored Morgan Barchan with the game-opening run.

In the second, senior shortstop Becca Bigler hit a one-out single to give Hofstra a base runner. Sophomore Erin Trippi was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a fielder's choice that erased Bigler at third.

But Rocha came through with a two-out single to score Trippi with the tying run, marking Hofstra's first run scored in 12 innings.

The Salukins took the lead for good in the third. Taylor Orsburn and Barchan both reached with singles, setting up Spivey's three-run shot and the 4-1 edge.

Galati completed the inning before giving way to freshman Victoria Cabral in the circle. Galati, a first-team All-America selection in 2012, struck out four against five hits and four runs in three innings in falling to 3-6 on the season. It was the first time in her nine starts she did not throw a complete game.

Hofstra chipped into the lead, getting one run back in the bottom of the third when Ziemba singled home Hirschbuhl with no outs in the inning to chase Southern Illinois starting pitcher Brittney Lang.

Alyssa Wunderlich entered in relief and got out of the inning without further damage. The Pride got to the right-hander in the fourth, closing to within a single run via Jess Hirschbuhl's sacrifice fly. Rocha started the inning with a triple and scored on the out to right. Hirschbuhl went 2-for-3 with a run scored.

Cabral, making her second career appearance, gave Hofstra a chance to come back, pitching a scoreless fourth and escaped a fifth-inning jam. Southern Illinois started the inning with two straight singles, though Cabral caught a come-backer for the first out. A walk loaded the bases, though Hofstra prevented the deficit from increasing with a force out at home on Kelsey Gonzalez's grounder to short. Cabral then forced a fly out to left to strand three runners.

Illinois State scored an unearned run in the sixth when Barchan reached on a fielding error but was credited with a RBI. The Salukins tacked on two key insurance runs in the top of the seventh in what proved to be the difference in the game when Michelle Bradley hit a two-run double for a 7-3 Southern Illinois edge.

The Pride got two runs back in the seventh when Ziemba smacked her team-leading fourth home run of the season and Trippi hit a RBI double. Lang re-entered the game in place Wunderlich and picked up the save by getting the last two outs, forcing a line out to end the game in halting Hofstra's comeback bid.

Hofstra will be back in action on Friday in the Citrus Classic in Orlando, Fla. when the Pride will begin another five-game tournament with contests against Mississippi State and Texas.