The Hofstra University softball team finished the 2023 regular season with a victory on the road, slaying the Drexel University Dragons 5-2. The Pride was led by Julia Apsel, who pitched a complete game for the third time this season en route to a series sweep.
Hofstra ends the regular season with a 24-24 overall record and a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) record of 16-7. The Dragons finished the season 12-37 overall and 5-18 in CAA play. The Pride leads the overall series between these two sides 77-18 and has won five of the last six games against Drexel.
Drexel got down to business in the bottom of the first inning. After Apsel surrendered a two-out walk, Ashley Errico took a 1-2 pitch and drove it to right center field for a double to put two runners in scoring position. Mia Garza followed that up by bringing both Dragon runners home with an RBI single on the first pitch she saw from Apsel.
The Pride began cutting the 2-0 lead in the following inning when Aliya Catanzarita reached on a fielding error by Kylee Guerrera. After back-to-back singles by Becca Vaillancourt and Alanna Morse, Kayla Wilson hit an RBI single into left field to bring home Catanzarita.
Hofstra tied the game in the top of the third inning. First, Meghan Giordano hit a one-out single into left field after getting the green light to swing on a 3-1 pitch. She advanced to third base when Angelina Ioppolo roped the 1-0 pitch to right center field for a double. Catanzarita brought Giordano home on a groundout to shortstop to level the Pride with Drexel at two points apiece.
The Pride took their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth inning thanks to Catanzarita. On the 2-1 pitch with two outs and runners on second and third base, the Hofstra senior smacked a base into left field, bringing home Chelsea Manto. Giordano was awarded home plate after the umpires ruled that her path to home was interfered with by Dragons catcher Savaanah Garcia. The Pride entered the home stretch of the game with a 4-2 lead.
The Pride got Apsel the insurance run in the top of the seventh inning. Two consecutive one-out singles by Giordano and Ioppolo began the inning before Catanzarita came up big again by hitting Jessica Schable’s first offering into the right field. Catanzarita’s second base hit of the day brought in her third RBI and made it 5-2 for the Pride.
Apsel finished the day with her seventh win of the season after throwing all seven innings, striking out two and giving up two earned runs. She finished the season 7-7 with a 4.34 ERA, 55 strikeouts and 76 runs, 56 earned. Lindsay Nelson dropped down to a 3-22 record on the season. She went five innings, struck out five Pride hitters and gave up four runs, three of which were unearned.
Hofstra enters the CAA championship at the No. 3 seed and will be playing at their home field, as Bill Edwards Stadium is the host site for the tournament. The first game Hofstra plays is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 10.
Photo courtesy of Pete Coco/Hofstra Athletics
