Hofstra softball beats Towson in CAA opener

The Hofstra University softball team beat the Towson University Tigers 12-0 on Sunday, March 10. The Pride won their opening Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) series and improved to 4-11 overall on the season.

It was a dominant performance from Hofstra as they scored in five out of the seven innings played, including a five-run seventh inning. With 7 points already on the board for the Pride, Olivia Malinowski scored on a throwing error from the left fielder to increase their lead to 8-0. Tyler Douglas then scored on a wild pitch, stretching the lead to nine runs.

Chelsea Manto singled to left field for her second hit of the afternoon and knocked in Kayla Wilson from second base. With the bases juiced and one out in the inning, Gabriella Sultan singled to right field, scoring Manto from second and Nicole Cancel from third.

Malinowski cleared the bases in the third, with a three-RBI double to right center, increasing the team’s lead to 4-0.

The bats were hot, but Towson committed five errors in the loss. Out of the 12 team hits for Hofstra, Manto, Malinowski and Lily Yepez all had multi-hit games.

Pitcher, Julia Apsel, entered the circle for the sixth time this season and the second time this weekend. Apsel pitched five scoreless innings, allowed three hits and fanned five, as she improved to 3-3 on the year. Apsel was responsible for both the team’s victories against the Tigers in this series.

Apsel lowered her ERA to 1.27, as this was her third outing of the season without allowing a run. To this point, she has 28 strikeouts and eight walks, throughout 38.2 innings of work.

Anna Butler relieved Apsel for the sixth and seventh innings. The junior right-hander pitched two scoreless innings while allowing two hits and one walk. Butler’s ERA on the season is 1.05 in 6.2 innings of work.

Despite sitting at 4-11 overall, the Pride are fifth in the CAA standings. Towson slides into the eighth spot in the conference, with a 1-2 record in CAA play and 8-13 overall.

The home opener for Hofstra is Friday, March 15, against Drexel University. The first pitch is set for 5 p.m. against the 4-11 Dragons. It’s a three-game series, with game two to be played on Saturday, March 16, and game three to be played on Sunday, March 17.

Photo courtesy of Hofstra Athletics/Aaron Meullion