Canisius Loses to Hofstra, 5-1
MAAC Sports
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. ? The Canisius College softball team saw its record-breaking season come to an end at the 2008 NCAA Division I Softball Championship on Sunday, when the Golden Griffins lost 5-1 to Hofstra University at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
Freshman Lauren Hope led the Griffs (39-14) with three of the team’s five hits on the day, while Jenny Maheu and Ashley Bonetto also had hits with Bonetto’s hit being a solo home run down the left-field line with one out in the seventh inning.
The game was scoreless through the first five innings, due to some quality pitching and good defensive plays from both teams. Senior Lindsay Morris started for Canisius and went four scoreless innings, allowing just three hits and walking none.
Canisius received a one-out slap hit from Hope in the first and the freshman stole second, the first of her two steals on the day. After she moved to third on a grounder from Katie Miranto, but Hofstra starter Kayleigh Lotti got Michelle Fridey to strike out to end the inning,
Morris retired the first five batters of the game before allowing three consecutive base runners to reach base with two outs in the second. Morris would get a groundout by pinch hitter Stefanie Feinstein to end the inning. Hofstra had the leadoff batter reach in the fourth, but pinch runner Laura Jaxheimer was called out for leaving the base early for the first out of the inning.
Junior Juliette Bowers relieved Morris to start the fifth inning and walked the first batter, Melissa Hodge. After Kris Root struck out for the first out of the inning, Hodge advanced to second on a wild pitch. Casey Fee reached on a bunt single to put runners at the corners. Erika Bernstein sent a groundball to Bonetto at short, who ran at Hodge and eventually threw to Canisius catcher Angela Turrey, who applied the tag to Hodge for the second out of the inning. Bernstein would then attempt to take the extra base by running to second as Turrey threw down to Miranto. Bernstein beat the tag from Miranto, who threw home as Fee tried to score. The throw from Miranto beat Fee and the Hofstra runner barreled into Turrey, who held on to the ball and applied the tag for the third out of the inning.
Hofstra would score four runs in the sixth as the first four batters reached base for the Pride. Bowers would allow back-to-back singles to start the inning, putting runners at the corners with nobody out. Mallory Aldred entered the game, but Michele DePasquale would single home a run to get Hofstra the lead. After a walk to Pam Dreslinski loaded the bases, Carolann Lubach hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-0. Hodge followed with a groundball to short and Bonetto’s throw home was low and rolled to the backstop, allowing two Hofstra runners to score.
Canisius attempted to mount a rally in the sixth as Hope singled to start the inning and would steal second, giving her 40 on the season. Miranto would follow with a line drive right at DePasquale, who fired to second to double off Hope.
The Pride would add a run in the top of the seventh before Canisius got its only run in the bottom of the seventh on Bonetto’s first home run of the season.
Lotti (23-6) would go the distance for Hofstra, allowing five hits, one run and two walks while striking out three.