HEMPSTEAD, New York – The UNCW softball team earned a two-game split to open a key Coastal Athletic Association softball series at Hofstra on a rainy Friday afternoon at Bill Edwards Stadium.
The Seahawks stand (23-16, 9-8 CAA) following a bounce-back 6-5 win after the Pride (13-32, 9-8 CAA) earned an 11-3 run-rule win in the weekend opener.
A determination on the third game of the series will be announced later depending on the weather.
Follow @UNCWSoftball on Twitter/X or check the UNCW Softball Schedule page for any schedule-related updates for the third game.
GAME 1 | Hofstra 11, UNCW 3 (five innings)
Hofstra's Dahlia Palacio delivered a pair of two-run doubles to push the Pride over the Seahawks 11-3 in five innings in the Friday opener at Bill Edwards Stadium.
The host Pride erased a 1-0 first inning run on Palacio's two-run double in the bottom of the frame. Hofstra teammate Chelsea Villar launched a three-run home run an inning later to make it 5-1.
UNCW cut the deficit to 5-3 in the third inning on RBI hits by Madison Biddle and Morgan Britt, but a five-run third was capped by Palacio's second two-base, two-run knock to break the game open, 10-3.
Emma Falen (8-7) tossed five innings in the win.
UNCW's Taylor Barlow (6-4) was charged with the loss.
GAME 2 | UNCW 6, Hofstra 5
The Seahawks started strong with a pair of runs in the top of the first inning. Biddle laced a one-out single, stole second and scored on an RBI single by Maggie Pertee. Moments later, Pertee came around to score on a wild pitch.
UNCW added two more runs in the top of the fourth inning. Sierra Persinger gave the Seahawks a 4-0 lead with a two-out RBI double down the right-field line.
Hofstra responded with a pair of runs in the bottom in the fourth, trimming the deficit to 4-2.
Allison Corbin tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the fifth with a single to deep right field, giving the Seahawks a 6-2 lead.
The Pride cut the deficit in half in the bottom half of the inning on an infield hit. Hofstra loaded the bases with two outs, but Seahawks' starter Makayla Huddleston walked the tightrope to get out of the inning. Huddleston struck out Gemma D'Orazio looking on a full-count changeup placed on the outside corner to end the threat.
Hofstra put runners on second and third with no outs to start the bottom of the seventh. The Pride made it a one-run game on a one-out, two-run double to right field by Palacio. However, Huddleston regrouped for the final two outs. The sophomore stranded Palacio on third, closing the book on the Pride after pinch-hitter Gabby Sultan lined out to Corbin at first base.
Huddleston (12-7) earned the win and tossed her seventh complete game of the season. The sophomore scattered six hits and five runs (three earned) while walking two and striking out seven.
Hofstra's Carley Ernst (3-11) was tagged with the loss.
