Hempstead, NY – The No. 3 seeded Hofstra softball team fell to No. 5 seeded Towson, 2-1, in the final game of the winner's bracket of the 2023 Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship at Bill Edwards Stadium.
 
After starting pitchers Julia Apsel of Hofstra and Maddie Gardner of Towson blanked both sides through three innings, Aliya Catanzarita slammed a 1-1 pitch well over the left field wall for the opening run over the Tigers. Apsel and the Hofstra defense continued to cruise through the game, recording a quick fifth inning without allowing a hit or base runner.
 
Towson opened the sixth inning with a lead-off single. After Apsel struck out her second batter of the game, the Tigers placed another runner on base with a bunt single, and both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch. After a three-pitch walk to load the bases, Kasey Collins made a fantastic diving play to get the runner out at second, but Towson capitalized on a Hofstra error to plate the tying and go-ahead runs.
 
In the bottom of the seventh and with a chance to at least extend the game another inning, Olivia Malinowski drew a pinch-hit walk to open the inning. Kayla Wilson reached base on a fielder's choice, while Collins singled to left field to make it runners at first and second. Brianna Morse stepped into the box for a pinch-hit opportunity, and she had a home run to left taken away at the wall by Towson left fielder Elizabeth Yoskowitz. Meghan Giordano drew a five-pitch walk to lead the bases with two outs, but Angelina Ioppolo flied out to end the game and send Hofstra into the loser's bracket.
 
Collins finished the game with two hits in three at bats and a walk, while Catanzarita, Giordano, Catanzarita, and Becca Vaillancourt all recorded hits for the Pride. Apsel struck out two batters in six innings of work against just three hits and one earned run, and Nikki Mullin pitched the seventh inning and allowed just one hit to four batters.
 
The loss drops Hofstra to 26-25 overall while Towson improves to 30-23 and moves to the CAA Championship game. The Pride moves into the loser's bracket, and they will return to action face the winner of No. 7 seed Stony Brook and No. 1 seed Delaware in an elimination game tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m.
 
NOTES:
-Collins and Giordano have both reached base safely in 18 consecutive games.
-Catanzarita has driven in eight runs in the month of May.
-Hofstra is now 78-25 all-time against Towson. This Hofstra's third consecutive loss to Towson.