NEWARK, DE -- The Hofstra University softball team posted a 9-0 win in five innings in the opener and recorded an 8-1 victory in the nightcap as the Pride swept a doubleheader from the Blue Hens Saturday afternoon at Delaware Field.

The Pride, who improved to 34-10 overall and 14-3 in the Colonial Athletic Association to remain in first place in the conference, broke a scoreless tie in the opener by pushing across a run in the top of the fourth inning. With two outs Melissa Hodge singled to centerfield, and she came around to score on a triple to rightfield by Pam Dreslinski.

Hofstra then put the game away by scoring eight runs in the top of the fifth inning. Kristine Root opened the frame with a walk, and Trisha Dreslinski drove her home with a double down the leftfield line. After a single by Erika Bernstein, Sara Michalowski hit a groundball back to Blue Hen pitcher Samantha Shawn, but Shawn’s throw to the plate was wide allowing Dreslinski to score. Courtney Oliver then singled to right, and two runners scored when the ball got through UD rightfielder Marianne Marinella as the Pride went ahead 5-0.

After an RBI single by Michele DePasquale, Pam Dreslinski added a run-scoring single to make it a 7-0 game. Later in the inning Trisha Dreslinski hit a sacrifice fly to drive home Hodge and Genevieve Haney singled home Pam Dreslinski to close the scoring.

Hofstra starter Kayleigh Lotti fired a two-hit shutout for the Pride, striking out 13 batters while improving to 14-5 on the season. Quinn Megargel doubled in the fourth inning for the Blue Hens, who dropped to 21-21 overall and 4-13 in the league, while Shanette White (at right) added a single in the fifth. Delaware starting pitcher Samantha Shawn dropped to 9-11 after allowing nine runs, six earned, on 11 hits in five innings.

The Pride jumped ahead in the nightcap by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. Trisha Dreslinski led off with a bunt single, and after Bernstein beat out an infield single, Michalowski singled up the middle to drive home Dreslinski with the first run of the game. Bernstein then stole home when Blue Hen catcher Caitlin Smith tried to pick Michalowski off first base.

Hofstra added a run in the second when Root led off with a single and eventually scored on a groundout by Michalowski, while Bernstein doubled home Root in the fourth to give the Pride a 4-0 lead. After Hofstra scored two runs in the fifth, Hodge added an RBI single in the sixth and Haney hit a run-scoring single in the seventh to put the Pride up eight runs.

Delaware got on the board in the bottom of the seventh when Katie Lee walked, went to second on a groundout by Marinella, and scored when Megargel reached on an error by Pride shortstop Pam Dreslinski.

Oliver picked up the win for Hofstra and improved to 9-1 on the year after allowing four hits and three walks in six scoreless innings, while Blue Hen starter Anne Marie Pagano fell to 12-9 as she gave up eight runs, seven earned, on 16 hits.

The Blue Hens and Pride wrap up their weekend series on Sunday when the teams play a single game beginning at 12 noon. UD seniors Katie Lee and Barbara Traynor will be honored in a ceremony prior to the game.

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