HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. -- The Columbia softball team dropped a pair of contests on the final day of the Hyatt Place Hofstra Invitational on Sunday. The Lions fell to the host Pride, 7-0, in their first game of the day then were edged by UConn, 1-0, later in the afternoon. Senior Maggie Johnson allowed just one run over six innings in the circle against the Huskies while striking out five.

UConn Recap
A pitcher's duel between Columbia's Maggie Johnson and UConn's Kiki Saveriano broke out at Hofstra Softball Stadium on Sunday. In the end, a bloop RBI single by Huskies catcher Andrea Huelensbeck in the fifth proved to be the difference in a 1-0 decision.

Johnson allowed baserunners to reach in the first, second and third innings but worked out of each jam unscathed. Saveriano had just two Lions reach base against her through the first four innings -- an infield single from senior Anne Marie Skylis and first-year Emily Caruthers reached on an error.

It was not until the bottom of the fifth that either team was able to score, as UConn's Maddy Schiappa reached on an infield single, stole second base and advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Huelensbeck dinked a Johnson pitch into the outfield, between three Columbia defenders to score Schiappa and give the Huskies a 1-0 lead.

The top of the sixth provided the Lions an ample opportunity to tie or take the lead, as a walk and pair of hit-by-pitches loaded the bases with just one out. After a force out at home plate gave UConn two outs, senior Stephanie Yagi nearly gave Columbia the lead as she crushed a ball that would have gone for a grand slam if it had stayed fair. Unfortunately for Yagi and the Lions, the ball went foul and Yagi struck out on the next pitch, ending the threat.

First-year Emily Snodgrass gave Columbia another ray of hope in the top of the seventh, drilling a one-out double to center field. A sacrifice bunt moved her to third, but Saveriano shut the door on her second shutout of the season with a groundout to end the game.

Hofstra Recap
The Pride raced out to a quick 4-0 lead in the first, as Columbia helped the home team's cause with an error, hit by pitch and a pair of passed balls. Two runs scored as a result of the passed balls, while an RBI groundout and a run-scoring double by Laura Valentino accounted for the other two scores.

The four runs were more than enough for Hofstra pitcher Erin Wade, who for the second straight day baffled Columbia hitters. Wade allowed just one hit -- a single to first-year Emily Caruthers in the sixth -- and struck out 12. Outside of the hit from Caruthers, Wade allowed just one other base runner, as Maggie Johnson was hit by a pitch in the third.

Three straight RBI singles in the sixth boosted the Pride lead to 7-0, the final margin of victory. First-year Prophet Gaspard suffered the loss for the Lions, allowing just two hits and four unearned runs in 3.1 innings pitched.

Columbia returns to action on Thursday, March 24 with a doubleheader at Manhattan, beginning at 3 p.m.