BROOKLYN, N.Y. -- The LIU Brooklyn softball team will head out Wednesday to Hempstead, LI to play the Hofstra Pride (11-11). The Blackbirds (15-11) are back in New York following the most successful pre-conference slate in program history and ready to face a few local rivals before starting the Northeast Conference schedule a week from Sunday. Adding to the program's strong start, the Blackbirds were able to win the last game played in all six pre-conference tournaments played in this season and won at least two games each weekend, which includes a 2-0 mark in Santa Barbara, when the rest of the weekend was rained out.
LYMAN LEADS 'BIRDS TO TWO WALKOFF WINS LAST WEEKEND
The Blackbirds bookended their trip to Clearwater, Fla. with a pair of walkoff wins to go 2-3 at the USF-Michelle Smith Pediatric Cancer Spring Invitational Tournament. Freshman Camryn Lyman was the clutch performer of the week with both game-winning hits. First against Florida Gulf Coast, she came up with a runner on first and hit a bullet into center for an RBI double to give the Blackbirds a 7-6 win. Then versus Brown to end the weekend, Lyman was up with the bases loaded, two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a 1-1 game, when she drilled the first pitch and lined a single into center field for the RBI and a 2-1 win. Lyman hit .500 on the week (8-16) with four doubles, two runs scored and two RBIs. Also, LIU's leadoff batter Patricia Griffin is currently on a 10-game hitting streak, to raise her season average to .307, when she was below .200 two weeks ago. The right fielder got at least one hit in all five games on each of the last two road trips to spark the offense. This week, she batted .529 (9-for-17) and scored four runs and had two doubles, one walk and one HBP for a .579 OBP.
THE OPPONENT
Hofstra • Bill Edwards Stadium - Hempstead, NY
LIU vs. the Pride: The Blackbirds trail the all-time series, 22-9. The series dates back to the 1952 season in Hofstra softball's second year of existence, when the Pride won, 16-3. The last time the teams met was April 18, 2018, when Hofstra won 13-4, in six innings.
Scouting Report: Hofstra is riding a five-game win-streak (and nine of its last 10 games). Most recently, the Pride went 4-0 at the St. John's Invitational with two wins over Wagner and also St. John's and Holy Cross.
The Hofstra bats have been on fire recently, posting double digit hit totals in six of the last seven games, including a 22-hit performance against Wagner on March 17. Pride junior shortstop Kristin Hallam and freshman second baseman Kasey Collins were named Colonial Pitcher and Rookie of the Week, respectively. During the last 10 games, Hallam is leading the Pride in batting average, hitting .514 with seven RBI and a team-high 15 runs scored. During the Pride's 4-0 weekend at St. John's, Collins led Hofstra with a .571/.714/.625 slash line while driving in four runs and also scoring four. The Pride boast a pair of outstanding first-year pitchers, freshman Madison Burns is 6-0 in her last six starts, pitching 43.0 innings and freshman
Mackenzie Suto is boating a 1.03 ERA during the stretch, tossing 20.1 innings while surrendering just three earned runs and allowing hitters to only a .185 batting average.
A BREAK BEFORE THE HOME OPENER
The Blackbirds will have a week off from competition following Wednesday's matchup, with the a pair of midweek games set for Wednesday (March 27) and Thursday (March 28) at the Birdcage. The home opener will be a 3:30 p.m. matchup versus Columbia, with the Hofstra Pride coming to Brooklyn for a rematch the following day, also at 3:30 p.m.