Dragons Win Extra-Inning Thriller Against Hofstra to Clinch Series and Postseason Berth

Sunday, May 2

Hempstead, N.Y.

2 p.m.

Drexel University

24-9, 10-5

Hofstra

14-14, 6-8

Drexel

Hofstra

Dragons Win Extra-Inning Thriller Against Hofstra to Clinch Series and Postseason Berth

5/2/2021 5:16:00 PM | Softball

Box Score

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – The Drexel softball team (24-9, 10-5 CAA) defeated the Hofstra Pride (14-14, 6-8 CAA) in a thrilling extra-inning rubber match on Sunday afternoon, 6-5. Linda Rush hit an RBI single in the top of the eighth to give the Dragons a one-run lead heading into the bottom portion of the inning.

After this weekend, Drexel holds the top spot in the North Division with a conference win percentage of .667. Delaware is second in the North Division with win percentage of .643 and Hofstra is in third with a .429 win percentage. With Delaware and Hofstra finished with its conference games, Drexel has clinched a spot in the 2021 CAA Softball Championship Tournament.

Brooklyn Daly started in the circle for the Dragons and went six innings. The senior held Hofstra to five runs and struck five Pride batters out.

Olivia Farris entered the game in relief and pitched two near-perfect innings. The freshman held the Pride to no hits and only walked one batter.

Rush drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth inning to give the Dragons a 6-5 lead. The graduate student went 3-for-5 with one RBI.

Ashley Errico hit the first double of her collegiate career that scored two runs for the Dragons. The freshman went 1-for-3 in her sixth start of the year.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Dragons scored their first three runs of the game in the top of the second inning by back-to-back doubles from the bottom of the lineup. With Savaanah Garcia on first and Megan Trivelpiece on second, Holly Bridgman hit a double down the left field line. Trivelpiece scored on the play. With Garcia on third and Bridgman on second, Errico hit the first double of her career. The double cleared the bases and gave Drexel a 3-0 lead.

The Pride scored one run in the bottom of the second. With runners on first and second, Brianna Morse hit an RBI single to left field.

In the bottom of the third, the Pride scored one more run on an RBI single to pull within one of the Dragons.

Reilly Jo Swanson hit an RBI single to third base in the top of the fifth to score Grace Abbonizio from third. Garcia then followed it up by grounding out to second base. Kristi DiMeo scored on that play.

In the bottom of the fifth, the Pride hit a sacrifice fly to right field to get one run back. At the end of the fifth, the Dragons had a 5-3 lead.

In the bottom of the sixth, the Pride hit a two-run home run to tie the game at five.

Farris entered the game in the bottom of the seventh with a runner on first. The freshman struck a batter out to get the first out of the inning. Farris walked a batter to put the winning run in scoring position. The walk did not matter as Farris got the next two batters to foul out and strikeout to keep the game even entering the top of the eighth.

In the top of the eighth, Rush hit an RBI single up the middle to score Hannah Walker and give the Dragons a 6-5 lead.

Farris pitched a one-two-three inning to clinch the series for the Dragons in the bottom of the eighth.

WHAT'S NEXT

The Dragons are scheduled to travel to Princeton, N.J. to face the Tigers in a doubleheader on Wednesday, May 5. The first game is slated to begin at 2 p.m.