Hempstead, N.Y. – Hofstra will look to stay sharp for a key league clash looming this weekend when the Pride travels to Fordham for a non-conference matchup on Wednesday at 6 p.m. followed by a home game versus LIU on Thursday at 5 p.m.
Hofstra is 31-11 and 12-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association after winning two of three at George Mason over the weekend. The Pride will now head to Fordham to complete a stretch of six consecutive away games. Fordham is 27-16 overall and 11-5 in the Atlantic 10.
After playing in the Bronx, Hofstra will welcome LIU to Hofstra Softball Stadium with a 5 p.m. first pitch. The Blackbirds are 15-32 overall but 11-5 in NEC play. The contest against LIU can be heard live through Pride Zone.
Jess Hirschbuhl helped Hofstra go 4-1 to start the trip with a doubleheader sweep at Big East-member Seton Hall last week and a winning CAA series against the Patriots. The senior third baseman batted .500 on the week (7-for-14) with two runs scored, a home run and two RBIs. She posted a .533 on-base percentage and a .714 slugging percentage, although her defensive contributions at the hot corner were just as important with Hirschbuhl handling all 15 chances without an error.
Hirschbuhl's effort at the plate and in the field supported fellow senior Olivia Galati, who continues to make a bid to win her fourth consecutive CAA Pitcher of the Year award. Galati threw three shutouts last week, including two against Mason to improve to 27-10 with a 1.57 ERA on the season. The West Babylon, N.Y. native will try and notch her third career 300-strikeout season this week as she enters with 290 whiffs in just 237 innings.
Galati, who tossed 17 shutouts en route to a first-team All-America selection in 2012, already has 13 shutouts this season. The right-hander leads the conference in wins, strikeouts, innings pitched (237), appearances (38) and games started (36).
Fordham will play Iona on Tuesday before taking on the Pride. The Rams enter the week with wins in three of the last four games, including back-to-back victories over Dayton. Like Hofstra, Fordham's offense enters with a collective batting average better than .300.
The Rams are hitting .302 as a team with Jamie LaBovick leading the unit with a .416 average. Fordham has also been able to hit for power with Elise Fortier (15 home runs) and Gabby Luety (10) notching double-digit home run totals. The duo has combined for 83 RBIs with Fortier slugging .839.
Hofstra has benefitted from a balanced lineup in posting a .319 team average. Freshman Caryn Bailey, sophomore Erin Trippi and seniors Tessa Ziemba and Becca Bigler all have exceeded 30 RBIs for the Pride. Bigler, Bailey and Trippi are all tied for the team lead with 34 RBIs.
Bailey and Ziemba have given Hofstra two power-hitting left-handed hitters. Both have slugging percentage greater than .700 while Ziemba has scored 34 runs. Hofstra is out-scoring opponents by a plus-142 differential.
LIU has won seven of the last eight, including a doubleheader sweep over St. Francis (Pa.). Cassie Vondrak (11-18, 4.12 ERA) has all but four of her team's victories this season. Lauren Morizi (.399), Whitney West (.354) and Emily Kakuska (.338) are the three LIU starters who are batting better than .300.
The Pride is in sole possession of second place in the CAA, trailing only 15-0 James Madison. The Dukes will visit Hofstra for a three-game series starting with a 2 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday that will help determine who captures the top overall seed and the right to host the conference tournament that is scheduled for May 8-10.
