The Hofstra University softball team secured a convincing 10-0 run-rule victory over Hampton University in five innings on Saturday, March 21. The Pride continued their dominance in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) play, improving to 7-1 on the season and 11-13 overall.

The Pride used a 10-run first inning and a shutdown performance in the circle from Emma Falen to secure the team’s third consecutive CAA series victory.  

Falen recorded a season-high eight strikeouts and allowed five hits through five innings. Dahlia Palacio and Ryleigh Smith had two hits apiece, and Gabby Sultan and Nicole Cancel led the team with two RBIs apiece. 

Kamryn Brown struggled in the circle for the Lady Pirates, allowing eight earned runs on six hits through 0.1 IP. 

The Pride got off to a quick start in the contest. Alanna Morse drew a walk, and Gemma D’Orazio was hit by a pitch. Sultan drove in the first two runs with a bases-clearing double down the right field line. Cancel followed with an RBI single, and Mackenzie Fitzgerald extended the lead to four with a double. Brown faced her last batter after Smith’s RBI single loaded the bases and gave Hofstra a five-run cushion. Three of the next four runs came via walks, including two runs on wild pitches. 

Hampton threatened to cut into the deficit in the third inning, placing runners on second and third with two outs. After Santrea Armstead led off the inning with a single, Falen struck out the next two hitters. Aitirihna Aiken doubled to left center on a full count, but Riley Bohanon grounded out on the first pitch of the at-bat to end the inning. 

Hofstra loaded the bases for the second time in the fourth inning, headlined by Emily Jovel, who picked up her first collegiate hit as a pinch hitter. With Smith on first and Jovel on second, Morse singled to center field to try and score Jovel but Jovel was thrown out at home on a throw from center field.

As the Lady Pirates looked to score runs in the fifth and avoid the run-rule loss, Falen struck out Armstead to begin the inning. Falen fanned Aiken on the 80th pitch of her outing to seal the victory. 

Hofstra was nearly perfect at the plate with two outs, going 5-7 with two RBIs, and they went 9-14 with runners on base. In advancement opportunities, the Pride were 13-18, compared to Hampton’s 1-10. 

Palacio has a double in three consecutive games, tied for second most doubles on the team with seven. The 10 runs were the most in an inning since the team scored 11 in the seventh inning against the College of Charleston on May 3, 2024. The win boosted Hofstra to a perfect 9-0 all-time record against Hampton. 

The Pride looked to sweep the Pirates on Sunday, March 22, to extend their winning streak to three games. First pitch from the Lady Pirates Softball Stadium in Hampton, Virginia, was scheduled for 1 p.m.