The Hofstra University softball team took a shutout loss from Campbell University 2-0 on Sunday, April 12. The Pride lost their first Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series of the season and moved to 22-18 overall on the season and 15-3 in conference play.
Prior to the game, former Hofstra head coach Bill Edwards, Hofstra University President Susan Poser, Hofstra Vice President and Director of Athletics Rick Cole, current Hofstra head coach Susan Cassidy-Lyke and student-athletes Emma Brennan, Emma Falen, Alanna Morse and Lily Yepez celebrated the reopening and renovation of Bill Edwards Stadium.
Falen made her second start of the series in the circle. In game one, she allowed two earned runs on six hits across 2.0 innings pitched. Falen bounced back, pitching her ninth complete game of the season, striking out five batters on 109 pitches and not allowing a single earned run.
“Falen pitched a great game, which is what we were looking for,” Cassidy-Lyke said. “[It] was almost like a little bit of redemption from her first outing on Friday.”
Katelyn Hubley was dominant in the circle against the Pride, pitching her 12th complete game of the season and her second of the series. She allowed no runs while only giving up two hits and striking out 11 batters, marking a collegiate high.
Campbell scored the only runs of the game in the third inning. On four pitches, the Fighting Camels placed a runner in scoring position following back-to-back singles from Haley Krebs and Emma Slutzah. Allyiah Swiney cleared the bases with two outs after a costly error from Morse.
Falen shut down the Fighting Camels for the remainder of the game, surrendering two hits and one walk after the third inning.
The Pride nearly trimmed the deficit in the fifth inning. Ryleigh Smith launched a deep drive to center, but Charlie Montgomery brought the ball back at the wall with an acrobatic catch. Hubley struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
In the seventh inning, Chelsea Villar singled with two outs to bring the tying run to the plate. On a 2-2 count, Smith then struck out swinging to end the game.
“If you don’t put the ball in play, it’ll be very difficult,” Cassidy-Lyke said. “We feel good about ourselves because I’m sure we’ll see them again another time down the road.”
The Fighting Camels struggled to capitalize with runners in scoring position, going 0-5 on the day and failing to score with runners on first and second with no outs in the fourth inning.
When committing at least two errors, the Pride are 5-8 this season and move to 3-4 all time against Campbell.
The Pride step away from conference play, as they travel to Fairfield, Connecticut, to play Fairfield University on Tuesday, April 14. First pitch from Alumni Softball Field is scheduled for 3 p.m.
