Hempstead, NY – Hofstra softball's ace Julia Apsel pitched another dominating performance from the circle, setting a new personal-best with 12 strikeouts as the Pride comes away with a 6-1 win from Bill Edwards Stadium over visiting Hampton to kick off final home CAA series of the season.
 
Hofstra improves to 17-23 overall and 13-9 against conference competition, and the loss puts Hampton at 15-31 on the year and 6-16 in the CAA.
 
After Apsel retired the first six Hampton batters – with five straight strikeouts to start the game – Kayla Wilson drew a six-pitch walk and Alanna Morse reached base on a Hampton fielding error. Following a bunt single by Chelsea Manto to load the bases, Becca Vaillancourt drove a 1-2 pitch to deep right, clearing the bases for three runs, as the Pride jumped out to an early 3-0 lead over the visiting Pirates.
 
Hofstra plated another two runs behind an RBI single from Chelsea Villar and a Hampton error in the third inning to put the hosts ahead by five, and they made it a 6-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth after Olivia Malinowski scored Manto from third on a fielder's choice play. With runners on the corners and no outs in the sixth inning, Hampton finally broke through when the runner from third scored after a strikeout and throw-out at second on a stolen base attempt, making the score 6-1.
 
Apsel retired the first 12 Hampton batters she faced before allowing her first runner on base to lead-off the fifth inning, and she didn't allow her first hit of the contest until the sixth inning. The senior lefty allowed a total of one walk and three hits to the Pirates.
 
Manto, Vaillancourt, and Aliya Catanzarita all finished with two hits for the Pride, while Malinowski and Villar collected one hit apiece against the Pirates, and the Pride drew four walks by Catanzarita, Wilson, Dahlia Palacio, and Gabriella Sultan.
 
The series between the Pride and the Pirates continues on Saturday, April 27, at 1 p.m.
 
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 5-0 all-time against Hampton. This was Hampton's first-ever visit to Bill Edwards Stadium.
-Apsel has finished with at least 10 strikeouts for the third time this season.
-This was Vaillancourt's second game with at-least three RBIs this season, and her sixth multi-RBI game in 2024.
-Manto stole her 17th base of the season, putting her at 90 for her career and two behind Charleston's Taylor DuPree (92, 2015-18) for the third-most in CAA history.