Preview: Hofstra to face Towson in CAA semis

After Madison McKevitt came in clutch with an extra inning grand slam in the top of the ninth inning, the Hofstra Pride softball team looks to clinch a championship game spot with a semifinals win. The test? To beat the Towson University Tigers on Friday, May 12.

Hofstra is 26-24 overall in 2023, with a Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) record of 16-7. The Tigers are 29-24 overall with a record of 14-10 in CAA play. Towson won the season series when these two teams met at Bill Edwards Stadium in early April. The Pride won the first game of a doubleheader, but the Tigers prevailed in the two.

The third-seeded Pride is now 4-1 on the season in games that went into extra innings. Hofstra set CAA championship history by being walked 13 times in its game against UNCW, breaking Hofstra’s own previous record of ten in 2002.

Hofstra is coming off its fifth straight win going back to Friday, May 5, against Drexel University. Meghan Giordano and Kasey Collins continue to reach base as they have both done in 17 successive contests.  When these two schools met each other back in April, the Morse sisters killed the Tigers’ pitching. Both Alanna and Brianna Morse had five hits in three games for the Pride in that series. The Morse sisters, along with Meghan Giordano, each had a home run in that weekend matinee as well.

The Tigers are coming from three straight tournament victories, taking down the University of Delaware Fightin’ Blue Hens in the latest win. Addie Ferguson played the role of hero when she hit a two-run single in the top of the eighth inning to win the game for Towson. Cori Jones is coming off a three-hit performance against Delaware. Cheyenne Beayon pitched all eight innings in the extra-inning contest, striking out two Blue Hen hitters.

The first pitch from Bill Edwards Stadium is set for noon on Friday, May 12. The game will be broadcast on FloSoftball.

Photo courtesy of Alexis Friedman