By Kyle Kandetzki – SPORTS EDITOR
Despite a lightning delay that held up the opening day of the CAA Tournament for hours, the weather couldn’t stop a red-hot Pride offense.
Hofstra softball took down the Elon Phoenix via a five-inning mercy on Wednesday, 10-0 on the campus of James Madison University. The game was delayed nearly three hours due to lightning near the field, but finally resumed at 7:00 p.m. (the game began at 3), where Hofstra posted five runs to end the game early.
Taylor Pirone was in the circle for Hofstra against the Phoenix, who was the only CAA team besides #1 seed JMU to defeat the Pride during the regular season. She would only surrender two hits over five innings, and still pitched well despite the long delay.
The Pride took just four turns at bat, but scored in three of them, led off by the offense’s anchor, Caryn Bailey. Bailey drove in the first four runs on the day, both on home runs, bringing her season total up to a CAA-leading 14, and the score to 4-0.
Kim Smith added the final damage before the lengthy delay via a solo shot over the wall, her 6th of 2015.
Hofstra was threatening when umps cleared out Veterans Memorial Park at the sight of lightning strikes beyond the stadium, keeping the Pride and Phoenix waiting around for exactly two hours and 54 minutes before play resumed.
But the layover didn’t stop the offense from picking up where they left off, as Smith hit an RBI single, loading the bases for Lacey Clark to belt a grand slam to officially make the game out of hand, 10-0.
The mercy rule forces the play of five innings, so Elon received one more turn at bat, but to no avail, ending the game, and moving the Pride on in the winner’s bracket.
The CAA Tourney is double elimination, so Elon remains alive, playing Towson Thursday for the chance to play the loser of the marquee matchup of the day, #18 JMU v. Hofstra.
Hofstra’s game against the conference’s #1 seed James Madison will take place at noon Thursday. Morgan Lashley is set to be in the circle for the Pride.
