Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra hit four home runs en route to putting up a five-run second inning and a six-spot in the third to post an 11-2 win over Delaware in completing a sweep against the Blue Hens in a Colonial Athletic Association series on Sunday afternoon at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
Freshman Caryn Bailey hit a pair of two-run home runs while seniors Becca Bigler and Jess Hirschbuhl also went deep to help Hofstra improve to 27-10 overall and 10-1 in conference play. Senior Olivia Galati allowed just three hits and struck out four in a complete-game victory as Delaware fell to 30-11 and 9-3.
Hofstra won in five innings due to the run rule with Bailey finishing 3-for-3. The right fielder joined sophomore Erin Trippi, Hirschbuhl and freshmen Maggie Hawkins and Kim Smith as Pride players who scored twice. Head coach Bill Edwards' team extended their winning streak to nine.
Galati threw every Hofstra pitch in the three-game sweep, improving to 24-9 with a 1.71 ERA on the season. But the Blue Hens struck twice in the first on Lisa Stacevicz's two-run single to left. Lara Andrews hit a one-out single and Gina Knutson drew a two-out walk. Victoria Conrad then lined a hard shot up the box that Galati got a piece of for an infield single that loaded the bases.
Stacevicz capitalized with a two-RBI single to left before Galati stranded two when Hawkins made a nice stop on a grounder at first to end the inning. After getting the first lead of the series, Blue Hens starter Kiersten Coffman pitched a scoreless first before Hofstra erupted for five runs in the second.
Trippi did not log an official at-bat in the game but reached base safely in all three plate appearances. The backstop worked a leadoff walk and Hirscbuhl pulled a two-run homer to left for her fifth long ball of 2013 to tie the score. Following a strikeout, Hawkins doubled to the right-center cap and Bailey pulled a two-run homer to right for the go-ahead runs.
That chased Coffman after 1 1/3 innings. The right-hander, who entered 8-0 with a sub-2.20 ERA, took her first loss of the season after being charged with four runs (all earned).
Junior Tori Rocha capped the rally with a RBI single up the middle to plate Smith against reliever Taylor Curran.
Hofstra's lineup was even more potent in the third as the first six batters reached safely. Trippi and Hirschbuhl walked in front of Bigler. The shortstop, who hit a grand slam in Hofstra's doubleheader sweep over the Blue Hens on Saturday on her birthday, continued her torrid hitting by launching a three-run shot off that clashed off the scoreboard in right-centerfield.
Bigler's opposite-field power display was her 10th home run of the season and her fourth in the last seven games. It also ended Curran's outing after she gave up four runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Chenxi Jiao, who was Delaware's third pitcher on the day, didn't fare much better with Hawkins greeting her with a single. Bailey then hit her second home run in as many innings with an opposite-field home run to left. Galati added a sacrifice fly later in the inning for the 11-2 margin.
Bailey raised her team-leading average to .414. The Elizabethtown, Pa. native is leading the squad with a .767 slugging percentage after starting all 37 games to begin her collegiate career. In the three-game sweep over Delaware, Bailey batted. 778 (7-for-9) with two runs scored, five RBIs, two home runs and five extra-base hits. Her slugging percentage was 1.778.
Smith made her first collegiate start in batting ninth as the designated player. The former Gatorade Softball Player of the Year in Delaware went 2-for-3 as eight of the nine Hofstra starters logged at least one base hit.
Hofstra will next be in action on Tuesday with a road non-conference doubleheader at Seton Hall beginning at 4 p.m.
