The Hofstra University softball team leads the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) north division with an 11-1 CAA record, and the pitching duo of Madison Steppe and Emma Falen have been the catalyst for the Pride’s hot start.
There is no gap in the rotation when Steppe or Falen take the circle. In CAA play, Falen has pitched to an ERA of just 0.84, while Steppe tossed to an ERA of 2.37. Both pitchers have been undefeated in conference play.
“They’re very different pitchers, so it’s kind of unique,” said Hofstra head coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke. “I think they know it’s not like we have a ‘one’ and someone’s a ‘two,’ it’s more like any day we can really feel confident having either one of them out there. And they’re very different, so that’s what’s helpful for us.”
Most weekends, the rookie Steppe gets the ball for game one, while Falen follows for game two and Steppe rounds out the series.
“I think they compete a little bit, very friendly competing like ‘[Steppe] went yesterday, I’m gonna do the same today,’” Cassidy-Lyke said.
Steppe, a Charlottesville, Virginia, native, instantly earned her stripes opening weekend against Florida Gulf Coast University. Steppe got the day two start against FGCU and shoved nine innings, allowing just four earned runs while fanning five hitters.
In Steppe’s first conference series start against Stony Brook University, she tossed two complete games and shutdown the Prides’ Long Island rival, allowing just five hits across 14 innings.
“She’s very composed when she’s on the mound, and especially for a freshman, it’s very impressive, so we feel confident when she’s out there, and so does the whole entire team,” Cassidy-Lyke said.
Falen entered the picture last season as a transfer from the University of California, Riverside. Falen showed an electric presence in the circle and proved to be a workhorse, pitching a team-leading 151.2 innings.
Falen tossed a no-hitter against Monmouth University on May 1, 2025, solidifying herself as one of the premier pitchers in the CAA.
The senior has been no different this year, pitching to a sub-one ERA in CAA play. Falen has allowed just three earned runs in her last four outings across 22 innings pitched.
“[Falen is] a gamer, she’s strong,” Cassidy-Lyke said. “She knows what she can do. She’s always competitive out there, so we’re confident when she’s out on the mound.”
The two never share time on the diamond but can be seen in the dugout hyping each other up. During Steppe’s first CAA start against Stony Brook, Falen rallied the entire team around the freshman star in between innings.
The CAA’s most dangerous one-two punch has been nothing short of a momentum booster for a Hofstra team that started the season 3-10 and has improved to above .500 on the year.
