May 2, 2004
Box Score
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.- Senior pitcher Alexis Alcantara threw a two-hit shutout as the Hofstra Softball team (26-17, 12-3 CAA) defeated George Mason (27-30, 7-8) by a score of 8-0 in five innings on a windy Sunday afternoon at Hofstra Softball Stadium.
The Patriots entered the day tied for the fourth and final CAA Tournament spot with Towson, which holds the tiebreaker advantage with the Patriots. George Mason closes out at conference play with a three-game series against UNC-Wilmington next weekend.
The Pride jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning as the heavy winds at Hofstra Softball Stadium made life difficult on the George Mason outfielders. With two outs, freshman right fielder Ashley Lane hit a tailing line-drive into the wind that Patriots left fielder Ashley Purcell (Herndon, VA/Oakton) mishandled for a two-base error. Sophomore third baseman Tara Ulrich then made a bid for a homer to straightaway center, but the stiff wind knocked the ball down for an RBI double, fooling George Mason center fielder Jen Clawson (Woodbridge, VA/Hilton), who had run all the way back to the wall before seeing the ball land in front of her.
Junior first baseman Hailey Clark then stretched the lead to 2-0 when she blasted a solo homer through the wind and over the left field fence in the bottom of the second inning. It was her 14th homer of the season, moving her within three of the school record set last season by Danielle Stewart. It was also her eighth homer in 15 conference games this spring, and her fourth in four games this week.
Hofstra stretched the lead to a comfortable 5-0 with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. Junior designated player Adrienne Clark had an RBI single, and later came around to score on a two-out error. The Pride then ended the game in the fifth inning with three runs, enforcing the eight-run rule. Junior outfielder Kelly Morris tripled and came around to score when the relay throw went wide of third base. Lane added an RBI single, and Ulrich ended the game with her second RBI double of the day.
Alcantara allowed only two hits in five innings, while striking out five to get the win and improve to 7-3 on the season and 5-0 in conference games. Lane ended up 2-for-3 with three runs scored and an RBI while extending her hitting streak to 10 games, the longest for a Hofstra player this season. Ulrich was 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI, while Morris, Adrienne Clark, and junior outfielder Lisa Torres were each 2-for-3. Miranda Fox (Hanover, PA/New Oxford) took the loss for George Mason, throwing 2.2 innings and allowing five runs (three earned). Third baseman Megan Farrell (Medford, NJ/Bishop Eustace) and Fox each went 1-for-2 at the plate in a losing effort.
