Hofstra softball 2023

[stuball888]

That’s her second home run of the game

[stuball888]

Going to the bottom of the seventh Hofstra six Yale five

[stuball888]

we win 6-5
That puts our record at 5-10
We win for the 5th time in 6 games

[Polito]

More like it…great to see some W’s - finding some footing perhaps? Keep it rolling ladies!

[triplec2195]

Our D hasn't exactly been stellar as we make 3 errors today. Giordano and the freshman from Mepham Alanna Morse who has made quite a few errors recently. Alanna played s.s. in HS I believe. Those errors might have hastened Venturini's exit from the game today. She gave up 4 runs but only two were earned. I've definitely been happy with the pitching of Nikki Mullin who's capable of pitching complete games.

[stuball888]

The pitching staff is still a work in progress, but we’re getting closer
Like I said, this team still has plenty of warts, and things need to be tightened up defensively, and we have to straighten together hits
We can’t rely on just Meagan Giordano heading home runs opposing teams will walk her and then what

[triplec2195]

We're playing our first home game against Boston College (brrr) and we're losing 1-0 wasting a good pitching performance from Nikki Mullin. We're hitting bottom 6 with 1 on and 1 out. We have 4 hits.

[stuball888]

Lose both games 1-0 8-0. Again no Hitting which will keep us in the middle of the pack in the CAA. All our hits were singles

[triplec2195]

Yeah isn't that sad. Seems like a deja-vu of last year but hopefully we will start to score runs consistently.

[Polito]

Isn't this a bit odd for this program, the lack of hitters I mean? Or is that the norm and I just remember differently? Didn't HU normally have bats and just had to go through half a season to see it's pitching develop? Or the other way around lol ?

[triplec2195]

Other schools that play down south or in warmer weather have an advantage obviously but this team didn't hit much in the beginning of the season last year also. We were shutout in quite a few games but the level of competition is much greater in the beginning playing ranked teams. This isn't going to be a team that scores a lot of runs. It's virtually the same team as last year with the exception of the freshman Allana Morse playing third and a new catcher who comes with nice credentials from U Mass-Lowell. Morse has made some errors early on and is hitting under 200. She's from Mepham and was an all L.I. player. It takes time. Our pitching hasn't been great yet either as Julia Apsel who has been hurt her first few years here but pitched well in the first half of the season last year has been hit hard. Venturini the freshman phenom has also been hit. She's coming off a shoulder rehab. The senior Nikki Mullin has been outstanding on the hill so far pitching complete games. We will see what happens when we start to play conference games where we were tough last year.

[stuball888]

The lack of hitting started when Coach Miller took over during Bill Edwards time, and Larissa Anderson’s time we’ve always had decent hitting, and power hitting
Even early in the schedule, I think it was in 2012 we were playing Texas. We won that game by a score of 7 to 3 with Olivia Gulati on the mound.
And what I found most impressive in that game. It was 5 to 3 in favor of Hofstra.
Texas and brought in their ace, Blair Luna she faced our power hitter Tessa Ziemba
This is not exaggerating, but on the third or fourth pitch Tessa hit a ball that had to travel at least 350 feet over the right centerfield wall. That was the second home run of the game.
In years past this team would hit anywhere between 35 to 55 home runs
For about five years I don’t think we have hit 60 home runs as a team combined in those five years
Like I said this, she is team has only Megan Giordano, who is capable of hitting about 10 home runs. I think the rest of the team combined will not hit 10.

[stuball888]

As of now we have six home runs in 17 games. We are averaging two runs a game and hitting 200 as a team. As of now we are projected to hit 18 home runs for the season that will not get it done.

[triplec2195]

It's a very weak hitting team which puts a lot of pressure not only on the pitching staff but on the defense.

[triplec2195]

So we get swept by B.C. after leading in this game. We score two runs in the 1st inning Meghan Giordano hits another Home Run but also commits an error in the 6th inning allowing what proved to be the winning run to score. So although we score 4 runs we only get 5 hits. An rbi for Giordano, 2 for Vaillancourt and 1 by the freshman Morse who hits a single to drive in a run. They seemingly find ways to lose because for a team that doesn't hit much and plate runs there's very little to no room for error. Final score 5-4. Next games are against S.B. away.

[Polito]

Ouch... this is great insight on the team and program guys, appreciate it. Makes a lot of sense. With basically zero offense they will need to be super on the mound and in the field, and it doesn't seem like this team can do that yet. Feels like another tough year, but like you say we'll see what happens in conference.

I am really hoping to get my girls to a game this season for their first time once the weather is decent.

[triplec2195]

Do it Polito come out and see them if nothing else their dugout antics are entertaining. Just an easy walk into the stadium and sit wherever you want. I plan on getting my granddaughters down to some games as well as they both play softball.

[triplec2195]

So with a lot of our teams losing today e.g. womens lacrosse mens basketball our women sweep a doubleheader from Stony Brook on the road. They win the first game 7-6 in 9 innings. Mullin started but got relief help from Julia Apsel who pitched 5 innings and only gave up 1 run. She got the win. In the second game it was all HU 9-1 and Venturini who was in good form giving up 1 run on 2 hits and striking out 10. Pisapia pitched 1 inning and gave up no runs or hits. 10 hits in the first game and 13 hits in the second game. Nice way to start CAA play.

[triplec2195]

BTW I've said it before that Haley Venturini when she's on like today can totally dominate a team. 10K's and just 2 hits. Last year as a freshman she had a 13 K game. Hoping she goes on a roll and brings this kind of game in her CAA performances.

[stuball888]

we complete the sweep of SBu 4-1/ Venturini with another gem. Timely two out hitting sealed this game. We are now 3-0 in conference and in first place in the CAA. It is still very early but it looks like we have two reliable pitcher in Venturini and Mullin. There are still some very good teams in the CAA who can give us trouble Elon Towson delaware and drexel to name a few . But coach Clark is starting to fit the pieces together. Still would like to see more power but I guess Giordano with have to do.We need Collins Manto to get on base and Have iopollo Morse Vallincourt and others square upo the ball and drive them into the gaps. We play midweek game against Virginia on the road before continuing CAA next weekend. Addie keep the improvement coming and maybe this could be a special season.