Pitching and defense lead Pride

Fresh off a school record-tying 45-win campaign, Hofstra returned all but two starters to the softball field and appears primed to make more noise on the national scene.

The Pride, which lost a 12-inning heartbreaker to third-ranked Arizona in an NCAA regional final in 2010, plays its home opener this Saturday after spending the first month of the season competing in tournaments in Florida, North Carolina and Louisiana.

“We’re right about where we need to be at this point,” said head coach Bill Edwards, who entered the season 34 wins shy of reaching the 800 plateau. “The ladies were anxious to get back. Last season was magical despite a tough ending. We’ve already faced some topnotch teams and competed well.”

When it comes to pitching and defense, few programs can match the Pride in either department. Olivia Galati and Erin Wade form a devastating one-two punch in the pitching circle, and Hofstra ranked No. 2 in the country last season in fielding percentage.

“We got very good pitching and played five errorless games out of the gate,” said Edwards of Hofstra’s performance in winning the Seminole Kickoff Classic at Florida State last month.

Galati comes off a remarkable freshman season and “loves the spotlight,” Edwards said. The CAA Pitcher and Rookie of the Year went 26-7 with a 1.60 earned run average and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 294-to-39. Meanwhile, Wade, a junior, went 18-5 with a 2.34 ERA. “They have similar repertoires but different looks,” Edwards said. “Olivia’s rise ball is devastating; Erin’s got a tremendous curve and change-up. Either one can beat any team on any given day.”

Behind the plate, Hofstra (6-7 heading into the Florida Atlantic Invitational) brought back senior Laura Valentino and junior Courtney Crews. The latter missed the first month of action due to a broken thumb, but Valentino has stepped up with a team-leading 11 RBI in 13 games.