Philadelphia, PA – The Hofstra softball team wrapped up its regular season-ending series against Drexel with a 5-2 defeat of the Dragons from the Drexel Softball Facility on a sunny Saturday in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
With Saturday's win, Hofstra enters the 2023 Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship with a 24-24 overall record and a mark of 16-7 in the CAA. Meanwhile, Drexel concludes its season with a 12-37 overall record and a 5-18 record in league play.
Drexel opened the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a two-run single to center field, but the Pride got on the board when
Kayla Wilson scored
Aliya Catanzarita from third with a single to left field in the top of the second inning to make it a 2-1 game. The visitors evened the score in the following inning when Catanzarita scored
Meghan Giordano on a groundout to the Drexel shortstop.
After a scoreless fourth inning for both squads, Hofstra pulled ahead in the fifth inning when Catanzarita sent a 2-1 pitch into left field, scoring
Chelsea Manto before the Pride earned a second run when the home plate umpire ruled the Drexel catcher had obstructed Giordano from a clear path to home plate, putting Hofstra ahead 4-2. Catanzarita scored her third RBI of the afternoon in the top of the seventh, giving Hofstra a three-run lead in the final game of the regular season.
In addition to her three RBIs, Catanzarita tallied two hits in four at bats, while Giordano,
Angelina Ioppolo, and
Alanna Morse all finished the game with two hits. Giordano crossed home plate three times against the Dragons, and she drew the only walk of the game.
Julia Apsel got the complete game victory, striking out two batters and allowing only four hits and two runs for her seventh win of the season.
Entering the postseason, Hofstra will be the three-seed in the CAA Championship, hosted by the Pride at Bill Edwards Stadium. The Pride will take the diamond on Tuesday, May 10, at 2:30 p.m. on FloSoftball.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 77-18 all-time against Drexel, and have won five of the last six meetings.
-This was Catanzarita's third three-RBI game of her career.
-Collins and Giordano have now reached base safely in 15 consecutive games.
-Giordano's three runs scored ties a career high set against Yale on March 5, 2023.