Preview: Hofstra to face UNCW in Day 2 of the CAA tournament

The Hofstra University softball team will face their second game of the 2023 Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) tournament against the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (UNCW) on Thursday, May 11. In their first game against Long Island rival Stony Brook University, the Pride set the tone straight with a 5-2 win thanks to starting pitcher Julia Aspel.

“She did a phenomenal job,” said Hofstra head coach Adrienne Clark. “She has been working so hard all year on pounding the zone, throwing her best game and hitting those spots; she’s really hitting her stride and her level of confidence in everything she does.”

The offense also answered the call, scoring five runs with three coming in the second inning off a Becca Vaillancourt double and a Kayla Wilson sacrifice fly to separate themselves from the Seawolves early on.

The tide turns quickly for a UNCW team who planted itself as the second seed. The Seahawks finished the season below .500 at 23-25 overall but played well against CAA opponents with a 17-7 record.

Although the offense has aided UNCW this season with Taylor Vitola, Elizabeth Winstead and Arial Pearce all batting over .300, pitching is what the Seahawks rely on the most. Janel Gamache and Kara Hammock both support ERAs under one with a 1.50 and a 1.79 on the season, not to mention a dual threat in Gamache, who leads the team in batting average and has hit .360 on the year.

The Pride and UNCW have not met this season, previously having met in the 2022 CAA tournament. UNCW came out victorious 2-1 over Hofstra in that meetup. The first pitch at Bill Edward Stadium at Hofstra University will be set for 2:30 p.m.

“I foresee us being aggressive and knocking the ball down defensively and making plays,” Clark said. “We just want to be aggressive and stay behind the ball when we’re at the plate.”

Photo courtesy of Matteo Bracco/CAA