Elon, NC – The Hofstra softball team brought home five runs across the fifth and sixth innings of its elimination game from the 2026 CAA Championship to defeat #2 seed UNCW from Hunt Softball Park.
Now 30-22 on the season, #1 seed Hofstra will face #3 seed Campbell (34-22) at 5:30 p.m. for a chance to take on #5 seed Charleston (29-28) in the championship game on Saturday, May 9. Meanwhile, UNCW ends its season 32-19.
After being held without a baserunner for the first two innings,
Mackenzie Fitzgerald reached second on a UNCW fielding error and advanced into scoring position after
Nicole Cancel bunted her over. Facing an 0-1 count,
Alanna Morse doubled home Fitzgerald for the opening run of the game. UNCW tied the score in the top of the fifth on a bloop single with runners on first and second, and the Seahawks loaded the bases with just one out on a single. However,
Emma Falen and the Hofstra defense limited UNCW to just one run in the inning, forcing an infield flyout and a strikeout to limit the damage.
Gemma D'Orazio led off the bottom of the fifth with a hit-by-pitch and she advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by
Lily Yepez. Fitzgerald put Hofstra ahead for good with a double to the gap in right center, scoring D'Orazio to make it a 2-1 ballgame, and after pinch runner
Tyler Douglas moved to third on a wild pitch,
Alanna Morse drove her in with an infield single to up Hofstra's lead to two.
Chelsea Villar reached second base on a fielding error at center field in the bottom of the sixth inning, and put herself in scoring position at third base on a UNCW wild pitch.
Kimmya Sims brought Villar home with a grounder through the gap for a 4-1 score, and D'Orazio put the exclamation point on the game with a two-run home run to left field to make the score 6-1.
Morse and Fitzgerald both finished with two hits against the Seahawks, while Morse and D'Orazio batted in two runs each. In the circle, Falen went the distance, scattering seven hits and three walks against one run allowed and three strikeouts for her 14th win of the season.
NOTES:
-Hofstra is now 53-9 all-time against UNCW, and the Pride has won seven of the last eight meetings versus the Seahawks.
-Hofstra finished 6-11 with runners on and 4-8 with runners in scoring position.
-The Pride improves to 16-8 when scoring five or more runs this season.
-This was the 600th win of
Susan Cassidy-Lyke's coaching career.
