Elon, NC – Behind a combined shutout by
Madison Steppe and
Emma Falen, the #1 seed Hofstra softball team shut down the #3 seed Campbell offense in a 3-0 win over the Fighting Camels to advance to the championship game of the 2026 CAA Championship from Hunt Softball Park on the Elon University campus.
Hofstra books its spot in the championship game with a 31-22 record, while Campbell's season ends with a mark of 34-23.
After both sides were held scoreless through two innings despite chances for either team,
Nicole Cancel broke the deadlock with a solo home run to dead center in the third inning. Despite loading the bases in the top of the fourth with two outs, Campbell was unable to even the score as
Alanna Morse grabbed a ricochet off
Mackenzie Fitzgerald and tagged the runner out at third to escape the jam. After
Madison Steppe pitched four innings of shutout softball,
Emma Falen picked up from where she left off from the day's previous game, shutting down the top scoring offense in the conference.
Lily Yepez beat out the throw at first for a one-out infield single in the bottom of the fifth, and advanced all the way to third after stealing second and moving over on a groundout by
Kimmya Sims. Cancel came to the plate and facing an 0-1 count, Cancel laid down a picture perfect bunt and Yepez avoided the tag to score and up the Pride's lead to 2-0.
Dahlia Palacio led off the sixth with a ground-rule double and moved over to third on a sacrifice bunt by
Gabby Sultan, and Palacio slid home safely on a sacrifice flyout by
Chelsea Villar to make it a 3-0 contest.
Cancel drove in two of Hofstra's three RBIs on two hits, Morse, Palacio, and Yepez were responsible for the other three Pride hits. Steppe picked up her 13th win of the season with five punchouts in 4.0 innings and 86 pitches, while Falen picked up a three-inning save with four strikeouts.
With the win, Hofstra will face #5 seed Charleston at 12 p.m. on Saturday. Hofstra will need to win twice against the Cougars to lift the CAA trophy for the 14th time in program history.
NOTES:
-Hofstra evens its all-time record against Campbell to 4-4.
-This was the second save of Falen's Hofstra career.
-Hofstra moves to 8-4 when shutting out its opponent.
-Campbell finished 1-9 with runners in scoring position.
-Saturday's game will feature two first-year head coaches in Hofstra's
Susan Cassidy-Lyke and Charleston's Maggie Mrowka.
