Postgame Interview
Pitcher McCall Langford
ATLANTA, Ga. -- Rachel Cunningham's 10th-inning squeeze bunt scored Audrey Mason with the game's only run and McCall Langford tossed a complete game shutout as Georgia State knocked off Colonial Athletic Association leader Hofstra, 1-0, in game one of a doubleheader Saturday at Bob Heck Field. The Pride rebounded to top the Panthers, 5-1, in game two.
The Saturday split sets up the deciding game three on Sunday at noon, which can be available via livestats.
Game One - Georgia State 1, Hofstra 0 (10 innings)
Langford, a freshman from LaGrange, Ga., scattered six hits while striking out seven and walking none to improve to 13-2 on the season. She outdueled Hofstra's Olivia Galati (20-6), also a freshman, who allowed just four hits and struck out 11. Both pitchers rank in the top 30 in the NCAA in ERA. Galati entered the game with a 1.27 ERA, while Langford carried a 1.47 ERA that will go even lower. Langford also had six assists as she consistenly forced the Pride to hit grounders around the infield.
Mason, a freshman from Kennesaw, Ga., led off the 10th inning with a double to left field and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lily Skelton, bringing Cunningham to the plate with one out. The senior from Alpharetta, Ga., bunted the ball back that was fielded by the pitcher, and Mason slid home with the winning run.
Hofstra's best scoring chance came in the 9th inning but Langford worked out of the jam, with help from her defense, after hitting the first two batters of the inning. With runners at first and second, third baseman Danielle Roddy fielded a ground ball by Becca Bigler and stepped on the bag for the forceout.
After Trisha Dreslinki's single loaded the bases for Hofstra, Courtney Crews hit a hard ground ball to second baseman Rebecca Roles, who fired home for the second out. Then Langford got Stefanie Feinstein to pop up to end the inning.
Georgia State has now won two-straight extra inning games over Hofstra, covering 22 innings. In last year's CAA Tournament, the teams played 12 innings before the Panthers earned a 3-1 victory and eliminated the Pride from the tournament.
Boese led the team with a pair of hits, with Lauren Jones and Mason picking up the others.
Hofstra is now 34-10, 13-2 in the CAA. Second-place Georgia State improves to 32-15, 11-5 in the CAA.
Game Two - Hofstra 5, Georgia State 1
Hofstra pitcher Erin Wade (14-5) threw a complete game, allowing only four hits and one run, while striking out seven batters, as the Pride took game two from the Panthers, 5-1.
The Pride took the early 2-0 lead in the second inning after Jess Hirschbuhl knocked a double to right center, scoring Courtney Crews and Trisha Dreslinski.
In the sixth, Becca Bigler singled to center field, scoring Sara Michalowski. An Emily Whitaker dropped fly ball scored Bigler, while Hirschbuhl doubled down the right field line, scoring Crews.
The Panthers lone run came on a Lily Skelton solo homer in the second, her eighth of the season.
GSU starting pitcher Alana Thomas (10-5) suffered the loss, allowing five runs (three earned) on six hits in 5.2 innings pitched. Roddy had a pair of hits for the Panthers, while Boese and Skelton claimed the other hits.
