Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content

Hofstra University Athletics

THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
THE PRIDE OF LONG ISLAND
Caryn Bailey
Caryn Bailey hit two home runs for Hofstra
0
Elon ELON 30-21
10
Winner Hofstra HOFSTRA 35-11-1
Elon ELON
30-21
0
Final
10
Hofstra HOFSTRA
35-11-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 R H E
Elon ELON 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Hofstra HOFSTRA 1 4 0 5 X 10 13 0

W: Pirone, Taylor (16-10) L: White, Chelsea (5-3)

Game Recap: Softball | | By Brian Bohl

SB: Hofstra Rolls Past Elon In CAA Championship Opener

Harrisonburg, Va. – Junior outfielder Caryn Bailey hit two home runs in the opening two innings and tallied four RBIs and senior pitcher Taylor Pirone threw a five-inning two-hitter as second-seeded Hofstra defeated third-seeded Elon, 10-0, in the opener of the Colonial Athletic Association Championship on Wednesday.

Sophomore second baseman Lacey Clark hit a grand slam to key a five-run fourth inning and junior third baseman Kim Smith also went deep as part of four Hofstra home runs. The Pride tied a season-high by winning its 10th consecutive game in improving to 35-11-1. Hofstra pounded out 13 hits in just four innings in the first-ever postseason meeting against Elon as the Phoenix fell to 30-21.

The Pride will face top seed and 18th ranked James Madison on Thursday at 12 p.m. in the winner's bracket game while Elon will square off against Towson at 2:30 p.m. in an elimination contest at James Madison's Veterans Memorial Park. JMU defeated Towson earlier in the day on a walk-off home run to extend its nation-leading winning streak to 36.

A weather delay in the top of the fourth suspended play for 2:54. But the nearly three-hour respite didn't faze Pirone, who retired the next two batters coming out of the break. The right-hander, who entered the tournament with the fewest walks allowed per seven innings in Division I, held Elon hitless until Emily Cameron's leadoff single to center in the fifth.

Pirone (16-10) struck out three and did not allow a walk. The right-hander ended the game in five innings when she pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam for her sixth shutout.

Bailey smashed a solo home run to straightaway center off Elon starter Chelsea White that landed on top of the brick field house in the first and her three-run homer in the second ignited a two-out rally. Bailey has four home runs in her last two CAA Tournament games dating to last season's contest versus Towson when she also hit two out of Veterans Memorial Park.

After Bailey tallied consecutive multi-home run games in conference tournament play, junior Kim Smith followed with a solo home run to center for a 5-0 lead that chased White after 1 2/3 innings. Smith's sixth home run this season matched her career total through her first two seasons combined.

The Pride opened the scoring early when Bailey, batting in the two-position, went deep the first time in the first. Hofstra threatened for more in recording three hits off White in the opening inning. Sophomore Michaela Transue drove an opposite field fly ball near the right field warning track that stayed in and White stranded two on an inning-ending strikeout to keep the Pride's lead at one.

Hofstra sustained pressure in the second when senior catcher Erin Trippi hit a leadoff single and redshirt freshman Rachelle Simodejka pinch ran and advanced on a passed ball. White retired the next two batters before junior Chloe Fitzgerald reached on an infield single.

Bailey then took White's offering the other way, driving the pitch over the purple left-centerfield wall for her career-high 14th home run on the three-run shot. That tied Tessa Ziemba's 2013 mark for the third-highest single-season home run total in Hofstra  history. Bailey also improved her career home run total to 30, which moved her into sole possession of third place on the program's all-time list.

Smith's homer to center also hit the field house and ended Smith's day as the right-hander fell to 5-3. Left-hander Kiandra Mitchum moved from designated player to pitcher, though Pirone cruised with the 5-0 lead.

The Pride loaded the bases in the sixth against Caitlin O'Shea. Freshman Brielle Pietrafesa and Fitzgerald walked and Bailey hit a line drive off O'Shea for a single. The comebacker injured O'Shea, who was replaced by Mitchum's re-entry.

Smith's opposite-field single to right brought in Pietrafesa and Clark hit a grand slam to center field for a career-high sixth home run to hand Hofstra a double-digit lead and put the mercy rule in effect.

Hofstra has won at least one game in every CAA Championship since 2010 and is 12-4 in the conference tournament in that span.
 
Print Friendly Version