TOP-SEEDED HOFSTRA EARNS SEVENTH CAA SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (May 11, 2008) ? Top-seeded Hofstra earned its seventh Colonial Athletic Association Softball Championship with a 3-0 victory over third-seeded James Madison on Sunday afternoon.
The win came after a 3-1, 11-inning Pride victory in game one of the championship on Sunday. Hofstra has now won 11 straight conference championships dating back to its membership with the America East Conference. The Pride improved to 43-11, which ties a school record with 2005 for wins in a season. The Dukes fall to 32-22.
The Pride scored all three runs they would need in the third inning. With two runners on, Courtney Oliver, who scored the game winning two-run walk-off homer in the first championship game, reached second on an error by the Dukes’ left fielder Brittney Dyson in turn allowing both Sara Michalowski and Kris Root to score two runs for the Pride. Oliver scored on a Michele DePasquale RBI single to up the score 3-0.
Kayleigh Lotti continued in the circle for the Pride, extending a continuous streak of 25 innings since yesterday’s elimination game against Towson. The junior tossed 18 innings for Hofstra today, including a complete game in the championship title game. She improved her record to 21-5 on the season. Lotti gave up only one hit, struck out two and walked two in the finale.
Jenny Clohan (10-8) tossed seven innings for the Dukes in the final contest, giving up three unearned runs on three hits. She walked one and struck out four Hofstra batters.
Lotti was selected as the championship’s Most Outstanding Performer for her top performance during Hofstra’s five games. She was joined by teammates Oliver, Carolann Lubach and Pam Dreslinski. Also named to the All-Tournament team were James Madison’s Kaitlyn Wernsing, Brittney Dyson and Meredith Felts, Towson’s Aimee Rosa and Stef Streets and Georgia State’s Catherine Lee and Rachel Cunningham.
Hofstra receives CAA’s automatic bid and will find out their destination tonight on the NCAA’s Softball selection show at 10 p.m. on ESPNU.