Hempstead, NY - The Hofstra Softball team will put its NCAA-record streak of 11 straight conference titles on the line when it hosts the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association Tournament, beginning this afternoon. The top-seeded Pride will open play against fourth-seeded James Madison at 12 noon, while second-seeded Georgia State plays third-seeded Towson at 3:30 p.m. Admisson to all games is free of charge.
Hofstra has won all seven CAA Tournaments since the conference was founded in 2002, after also winning the last four America East Conference titles it participated in from 1998-2001. The previous record for Division I softball was nine straight championships, set by Massachusetts in the Atlantic 10 Conference from 1995-2003.
The Pride earned the right to host this season's tournament by finishing the regular season in first place with a 14-3 conference mark. The regular season title marks the 18th year in a row that Hofstra has won a conference championship of some kind (either regular season or postseason). Hofstra fell in the championship game of the 1996 and 1997 America East Tournaments, but it won the regular season titles both years.
Hofstra will also be hosting the CAA Tournament for the seventh time in the eight-year history of the league. The only time it didn't was in 2006, when the Pride finished one-half game behind Georgia State (with the difference coming due to a rainout). The Pride regrouped, though, and won the CAA Tournament in Atlanta, defeating the host Panthers 7-3 in the championship game.
The streak of 11 straight championships has been far from easy, though, as Hofstra has had to fight back through the loser's bracket four times, including last year. The Pride fell 5-4 to James Madison in a winner's bracket game last season, then had to defeat the Dukes twice in the championship round. The first game went 11 innings, before Hofstra won 3-1 on a walk-off two-run homer by designated player Courtney Oliver, who graduated last year. The Pride then won the second game 3-0 on a one-hitter from current senior pitcher Kayleigh Lotti (South Attleboro, MA), who threw all 18 innings in the championship round to win Most Outstanding Player honors for the second year in a row.
This year, Hofstra and James Madison will meet again in the first round, as the Dukes finished with the fourth seed after tallying a 12-8 regular season conference mark. The Dukes, though, have won their last 10 conference games in a row after a 2-8 start and are riding a hot streak coming into tournament play.
Hofstra took both games against James Madison during the regular season, which came way back on March 28. Lotti and JMU senior pitcher Meredith Felts locked up in another pitcher's duel, similar to the 3-1, 11-inning contest a year ago in the championship round. The Pride came away with the 1-0 win, scoring in the sixth inning as senior designated player Joanna Kralowetz (Mt. Airy, MD) led off with a double and came home on a sacrifice fly from sophomroe shortstop Trisha Dreslinski (Kingsville, OH). Lotti finished with a four-hitter to get the shutout, while Felts allowed only five hits in a losing cause. Hofstra also won the second game 6-4 as Lotti came on in relief to get the save after the Dukes cut a 6-0 deficit to 6-4 in the sixth.
The second game on Wednesday will feature second-seeded Georgia State (15-5 CAA) against third-seeded Towson (13-8 CAA). Both teams visited Hofstra Softball Stadium earlier this season and took a game off the Pride, before Hofstra won the rubber games to take 2-1 series wins. Lotti allowed two of her three earned runs in conference play this year against Georgia State, but earned 2-1 and 6-1 victories (the Panthers won the middle game 3-2). Kralowetz and senior outfielder Melissa Hodge (Hamilton, NJ) hit back-to-back homers to win the rubber game, while senior second baseman Casey Fee (Lido Beach, NY) provided the winning margin in the first game with a two-out triple in the seventh, before coming home when Georgia State's throw to third went astray.
Towson started the Hofstra series with a 6-3 win, before Hofstra split the first doubleheader with a 10-4 victory in the nightcap. Lotti then threw the third game, and tossed a one-hitter with 12 strikeouts as the Pride won 7-0. Senior catcher Carolann Lubach (Langley, WA) hit a three-run homer and had four RBI in the 10-4 win, while junior first baseman Michele DePasquale (Waterford, NJ) was 3-for-3 with three RBI in the rubber game to support Lotti's one-hitter.
Hofstra will hope that Lotti can continue her mastery of CAA teams in her final appearances at Hofstra Softball Stadium. Lotti was 11-0 with an 0.27 ERA against conference teams this season, and has won her last 22 decisions against CAA foes (including the postseason). Since the start of her sophomore year, she has compiled a 42-2 record against league teams with 25 shutouts. JMU, though, was able to knock her out of last year's CAA Tournament win as current junior Brittney Dyson hit a three-run homer to trim the Pride's lead to 4-3 in a game the Dukes would go to win 5-4 (as Lotti took a no-decision). Georgia State also was the last CAA team to beat her (1-0 in the regular season in Atlanta last year).
The winner of the CAA Tournament will receive the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Softball Championship, and will open play at the NCAA Regionals from May 15-17. The tournament field will be announced on Sunday evening.
2009 CAA Softball Championship
Double-elimination format
May 6-8, 2009
Hofstra Softball Stadium (Hempstead, NY)
Admission: Free
Wednesday, May 6
Game 1 - #1 Hofstra vs. #4 James Madison, 12 noon
Game 2 - #2 Georgia State vs. #3 Towson, 3:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 7
Game 3 - Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 4 - Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 loser, 12:30 p.m.
Game 5 - Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 3 p.m.
Friday, May 8
Game 6 - Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12 p.m.
Game 7 - same two teams (if necessary), 30 min. following
