Wilmington, NC – The Hofstra softball team gave the regular season CAA champions and top-seed in the CAA Championship Campbell all it could handle, but the six-seed Pride were defeated by the Fighting Camels 1-0 in nine innings to knock out the reigning conference champions from the CAA Championship.
Friday's elimination game was a duel featuring two of the top pitchers in the CAA, with All-CAA Second team selection Julia Apsel representing the Pride and the CAA Pitcher of the Year Isabella Smith pitching for Campbell. Campbell threatened in the second inning with a runner on third and only one out, but Apsel forced two quick outs to end the threat. The Fighting Camels very nearly took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth on an infield hit with runners on the corners, but Alanna Morse gobbled up the grounder and fired home to Becca Vaillancourt for the tagout.
Hofstra had opportunities of their own to take the lead throughout the game, with none better than a bases loaded situation in the top of the seventh inning. Kayla Wilson drew a walk, Vaillancourt floated an opposite-field single, and Aliya Catanzarita drew a full-count walk to load the bases with two outs, but Chelsea Villar went down swinging to end the threat and send the game into extra innings.
After Hofstra couldn't bring Chelsea Manto home from third in the top of the ninth, Campbell came to bat and drew a one-out walk before Nicole Cancel grabbed an unassisted force-out at second for the second out of the inning. Campbell's Tyra Parker, safe at first on the fielder's choice play at second, put herself in scoring position with a stolen base, and Delaney McDilda blooped a 1-0 pitch into right field. Villar made the throw, but Parker slid home safely before Vaillancourt could apply the tag to win the game.
Vaillancourt led the Pride with two hits against the Fighting Camels, while Catanzarita, Manto, Morse, Wilson, and Nicole Cancel all tallied base hits. In the circle, Apsel threw 8.2 innings and struck out three batters.
Hofstra's 2024 season concludes with a record of 23-26.
NOTES:
-This was the first-ever meeting in softball between Hofstra and Campbell.
-The teams combined to strand 23 total runners on base.
-Catanzarita recorded a season-high three walks against Campbell.
-Apsel's 152 pitches thrown are a single-game career-high.
