Hofstra Wins League-Best 13th CAA Softball Championship with Back-to-Back Wins over Towson
Hunter Peters
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (May 13, 2023) – Third-seeded Hofstra earned two wins over fifth-seeded Towson on the final day of the 2023 CAA Softball Championship to collect its league-best 13th CAA Softball title from Bill Edwards Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Pride (29-25) got a walk-off two-RBI single from Angelina Ioppolo in the bottom of the seventh in the 13th and final game of the tournament, becoming the first team since 2011 to win the CAA Championship from the consolation bracket. Hofstra earns the conference’s automatic qualifying bid to the NCAA Tournament, making its first trip to the big dance since 2018. Towson (30-24) concludes the season after becoming the lowest seed in tournament history to reach the championship game and making its first appearance in the final since 2016.
Meghan Giordano was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship after going 3-for-6 with two home runs, five RBIs, three runs scored and a walk on Saturday. For the week, Giordano posted a .565 on-base percentage, hitting .444 (8-18) with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBIs, seven runs scored and five walks.
Giordano was joined on the all-tournament team by Julia Apsel, Kasey Collins, and Aliya Catanzarita from Hofstra. Apsel picked up both wins in the circle on Saturday and went 3-1 with a save for the tournament, throwing 22.1 innings with a 2.51 ERA. Collins batted .450 (9-20) with five runs scored and three RBIs throughout the week, including 5-for-8 with four runs in the two championship games. Catanzarita posted a.565 on-base percentage for the tournament, going 3-for-6 with a home run, two RBIs, and one run scored today.
Briana Ramirez paced the Towson lineup on Saturday, going 6-for-8 with back-to-back three-hit performances and two RBIs. The senior outfielder hit .381 (8-21) throughout the week and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. She was accompanied by Maddie Gardner (16-8), who had a valiant effort throughout the week, going 3-1 with a 3.04 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 27.2 innings.
Game 13: Hofstra 5, Towson 4 | BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Ioppolo roped a single into left-center to give Hofstra a 5-4 walk-off victory and return the Pride to prominence atop CAA Softball. Brianna Morse recorded a pinch-hit double to lead off the inning before Olivia Malinowski drew a pinch-hit walk. Kasey Collins singled to load the bases before back-to-back force outs at home put the Pride’s season down to its final out.
Catanzarita opened the scoring with a leadoff solo home run in the top of the second to give Hofsra a 1-0 lead. The senior designated player hooked the 2-1 pitch just inside the leftfield foul pole for her second homer in as many days off Gardner.
Towson answered back in the top of the third as Mackenzie Lake gave the Tigers a 2-1 lead with a no-doubter over the left field wall. Ramirez reached on a one-out single but was thrown out on a flawless 8-6-2 relay after Cori Jones roped a double into the left-center gap. With two outs, Lake worked her way into a 3-1 hitter’s count and smacked her sixth home run this season.
Giordano brought us even at 2-2 with a leadoff solo home run in the bottom of the fourth. It was the second leadoff homer of the game for the Pride and the second of the day for Giordano, who leads the conference with 15 home runs this season.
Towson regained the lead with two runs in the top of the sixth. Madyson Peters recorded a leadoff single before Cara Bohner drew a one-out walk. With two outs, Ally Hickman was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Sydni Byers drew a pinch-hit walk to score the go-ahead run. Ramirez continued the rally with a two-out RBI single to score Bohner and give the Tigers a 4-2 lead.
Hofstra got one back in the bottom of the sixth, making it 4-3 heading into the final inning. Five-pitch walks from Giordano and Catanzarita placed runners on first and second with two outs. The next batter, Becca Vaillancourt, somehow found grass, dropping a bloop single just past the diving attempt from Ramirez in center to score Giordano and pull the Pride within one.
Game 12: Hofstra 6, Towson 4 | BOX SCORE | HIGHLIGHTS | PHOTO GALLERY
Giordano’s
three-run home run in the top of the seventh ensured third-seeded Hofstra would force the first winner-take-all game at the CAA Softball Championship since 2015 as the Pride topped fifth-seeded Towson 6-4 in game 12 of the 2023 CAA Softball Championship from Bill Edwards Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Giordano was one of four Hofstra players to record a multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with four RBIs and one run scored. Collins went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored three runs, while Chelsea Manto and Catanzarita also recorded two hits.
Ramirez paced the Towson lineup, going 3-for-4 with one RBI, while Addie Ferguson went 2-for-4 with a double for her sixth multi-hit game this spring.
Hofstra plated two in the top of the first and took an early 2-0 lead. Collins beat out an infield single before Manto singled through the right side. Collins went to third on the base hit, and Manto advanced to second on the throw, setting up Giordano, who scored Collins on a sacrifice fly. The next at-bat, Ioppolo, drove in Manto with a ground out to the right side.
Towson picked up one run in the bottom of the second as Ramirez beat out an infield single with two outs to score Kristin Toland. Bohner drew a leadoff walk in the inning and swapped places with Toland after a fielder’s choice. Hickman drew the second walk of the inning before Elizabeth Yoskowitz moved the runners to second and third.
The Pride got the run right back in the top of the third from an RBI single off the bat of Catanzarita. Collins started the inning with a single to left before Manto walked to put runners on first and second. Giordano advanced the runners before Catanzarita beat out an infield single with two outs to score Collins.
The Tigers pulled within one in the bottom of the sixth, making the score 3-2 heading into the final inning. Ferguson recorded a leadoff double, and after back-to-back outs, Hickmann kept the line moving with a two-out single. Byers followed with a pinch-hit RBI single, scoring Kellie Zoerb pinch-running for Ferguson. Hofstra avoided further damage with a diving catch by Kayla Wilson down the leftfield line.
Giordano launched a no-doubter, scoring an important three runs for Hofstra in the top of the seventh. Collins and Manto reached on back-to-back one-out singles before Giordano crushed a 1-0 pitch over the left-center wall for her 14th homer this season.
Towson made noise in the bottom of the seventh, adding two runs but fell short on its comeback attempt. Lake reached on a one-out single before scoring on a Peters double during the next at-bat. Ferguson recorded the third consecutive hit for the Tigers, placing runners on first and third. Peters scored on a fielder’s choice from Bohner before Nikki Mullen secured the save for the Pride.
2023 CAA Softball All-Tournament Team
Meghan Giordano, Hofstra (MOP)
Julia Apsel, Hofstra
Aliya Catanzarita, Hofstra
Kasey Collins, Hofstra
Maddie Gardner, Towson
Briana Ramirez, Towson
Elizabeth Yoskowitz, Towson
Alyssa Costello, Stony Brook
Mia Haynes, Stony Brook
Kiara Mills, Delaware
Emily Winburn, Delaware
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