Keith Lucas
The Hofstra University softball team lost their first Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) game to Elon University in a 9-5 road game on Friday, March 7. The Pride fell 1-14 on the season.
The Pride have had a tough start to their season, facing nationally ranked opponents in their stretch before the CAA play and they continued to struggle against the Phoenix.
Elon’s bats were hot, knocking 10 hits on the day to the Pride’s seven. Greta Hessenthaler had three of the Phoenix’s hits. Earning the win in the circle for the Phoenix was McKenna McCard who pitched 4.1 innings, allowing four hits, on three walks, allowing three earned runs.
The Pride struggled to bring home runners, stranding 11 runners on the basepaths.
Freshman Carley Ernst started on the rubber for the Pride, lasting 6.0 innings on the mound, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits.
Chelsea Villar, a sophomore at Hofstra University, has been a spark plug in the Pride’s offense this season. She went 2-4, with a triple and a single and drew a walk. Anna Butler and Alanna Morse have been leaders in the Pride’s offensive production this season, each providing two RBIs.
The Pride struck in the first, putting up a run. Villar hit a leadoff triple and Morse knocked her in with a double out to center field.
The Phoenix put up three runs in the first inning. Starting the rally for Elon was leadoff hitter Hessenthaler with an infield single. Allee Seering took first on an error and the runners advanced on a ground ball into scoring position. Gabi Schaal and Kayla Wilson knocked in the runs.
Elon continued to strike in the second inning, tacking on two more runs. Lani Wyrick led off the inning, getting on base with a hit-by-pitch and taking home on an RBI double from Mary Moss Wirt. Seering brought in another run with an RBI single.
Elon’s runs went unanswered from the Pride as they continued to add to their lead in the third, adding on two more runs. The Phoenix were able to capitalize on a walk, as Chloe Hatzopoulos knocked in Wilson with an RBI double. Wirt earned her second RBI of the night on a hard-hit ball to shortstop.
Hofstra got themselves back into the game in the fifth, putting up a three spot. The Pride were able to piece together some singles. Villar, Butler and Mackenzie Fitzgerald each had a hit in the beginning of the inning and Fitzgerald’s knock brought home Villar.
Morse hit a two-run RBI double to right center field to cap off the scoring in the fifth. The Pride’s final run came in the sixth, off an RBI single from Butler.
Elon added two security runs in the bottom of the sixth, with a triple from Schaal, who knocked in a run on her hit and scored herself on a Hofstra throwing error.
The Pride looked to take the game in the middle game of the three-game series against Elon on Saturday, March 7. First pitch was scheduled for 1 p.m.