Columbus, GA – Sophomore pitcher Erin Wade (Taunton, MA) tossed a three-hitter and the Pride scored three runs on only one hit as the Hofstra Softball team captued a 3-2 win over Virginia Tech on the first day of the NFCA Leadoff Classic at South Commons Field in Columbus, Georgia on Friday afternoon.

With the win, the Pride improves to 6-0 on the season, extending its best start since the 1994 team began the year 9-0. Hofstra also picked up its second win over an ACC opponent after defeating North Carolina State last weekend (to go along with a win over South Florida of the Big East and Michigan State of the Big 10). Virginia Tech falls to 4-6 with the loss.

The Pride scored all three of its runs without the benefit of a base hit, as it took advantage of fielding miscues and control problems from the Virginia Tech pitching staff. Hofstra jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as junior third baseman Sara Michalowski (Philadelphia, PA) reached second on a dropped fly ball and came home on a pair of wild pitches from Virginia Tech starting pitcher Kristin Graham.

The Hokies got the run back in the top of the second as Ashton Ward singled to right-center to score Courtney Liddle, who had led off the inning with a walk. Wade picked up a strikeout and a flyout to finish off the inning with the score still tied.

The Pride loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the second on three straight walks, and after a forceout at the plate gave the Hokies their first out, senior center fielder Kris Root (Waynesboro, PA) drove in a run off of reliever Kenzie Roark on an RBI groundout to second.

Hofstra tacked another run in the third without a hit, as Michalowski again reached on an error, and a walk to junior left fielder Christie Novatin (Farmingdale, NJ) and a hit-by-pitch to freshman designated player Olivia Galati (Wesy Babylon, NY) loaded the bases. A wild pitch scored Michalowski, and junior catcher Laura Valentino (Smithtown, NY) followed with an apparent sacrifice fly, but Novatin was called out on appeal for leaving third base early, keeping the score 3-1. 

Liddle pulled the Hokies back within 3-2 in the top of the fourth inning with a solo homer.  Ward picked up her second hit of the day when she led off the seventh with a single, and moved to second on a two-out wild pitch, but Wade bounced back with a game-ending strikeout to improve to 2-0 in the circle on the year.