The Hofstra University softball team dropped game one of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament to the College of Charleston. They lost 5-2 on Wednesday, May 7.
Charleston came into the tournament as the third seed and the Pride entered as the sixth seed. The loss put the Pride in the double elimination bracket to face off against their cross-town rivals Stony Brook University. Charleston advanced to face the second seeded Elon University in the next round of play.
Mackenzie Mathis completely shut the Pride out in her first 5.1 innings in the circle, allowing no Hofstra hits. Anna Butler broke up the no-hitter with a single through the right side in the sixth inning while Mathis tossed a complete game and allowed just two earned runs on five hits and struck out six batters.
Jay Wrightsman and Halle Cannon each had two-hit games for the Cougars with an RBI. Leela Langston came through with two RBIs.
Pinch hitter Olivia Malinowski doubled to get the Pride on the board late in the game in the seventh inning. Emma Falen was tagged with the loss after four innings of work. She allowed two runs on five hits while striking out three batters. Carley Ernst came in relief, allowing three runs on two hits and two walks.
The Pride were just 1-6 with runners in scoring position to Charleston’s 3-8 mark. The Pride had an opportunity to strike early in the first inning, with a leadoff walk to Chelsea Villar and an error, but the early traffic was shut down by Mathis.
The Cougars took the early one-run lead with back-to-back extra base hits by Lia Miller and Langston. An error in the bottom of the second by Nicole Cancel extended the inning and snowballed into a run.
Cannon doubled down the right field line and Wrightsman singled to drive in the unearned run. The Cougars continued to strike in the fifth inning, putting up a two spot. Wrightsman tripled off Ernst and Miller drew a walk. Miller stole second to put herself in scoring position. Langston‘s sacrifice fly brought in a run and Miller advanced to third. Miller took home on a passed ball to score the second run of the inning.
Butler broke up the no-no with a single in the sixth and Dahlia Palacio singled, but the Pride were not able to string together enough hits to score.
Charleston continued to pour on the offense in the bottom of the inning, scoring a run on a Cannon single.
The Pride put up a last-ditch effort to make a comeback and scored their first runs of the game in the seventh. Tyler Douglas opened the inning with a single and Malinowski laced a double to score Douglas. Lily Yepez infield singled to advance the runner to third and Villar came through with a sacrifice fly. Despite the late rally, it was not enough, as Mathis finished her outing with a big strikeout.
Hofstra had a chance to advance in the tournament against Stony Brook in a double elimination matchup. The first pitch was scheduled for Wednesday, May 7, at 5:40 p.m.
