LI colleges roundup: Hofstra softball eliminated from NCAA regionals
In the end, Hofstra had to settle for just being there.
The Pride made the NCAA Division I softball tournament by winning the CAA tournament, but they went two-and-out at the Norman Regional in Oklahoma.
California slugged four homers en route to a 7-0, seven-inning victory Saturday that eliminated Hofstra.
Haylie Archer (10-9) and Ashanti McDade combined on a seven-hitter. North Bellmore’s Alanna Morse and Aliya Catanzarita each had two hits for the Pride.
Elon Butler hit a solo homer in the second off Hofstra starter Julia Apsel (10-10). Acacia Anders had a two-run homer and Makena Smith followed with a solo shot off Apsel in the third, making it 4-0. Kacey Zobac belted a two-run homer off Seaford’s Anna Butler in the sixth.
The Pride (29-27), making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2019, had lost, 11-0, in Friday’s opener to Oklahoma, the two-time defending national champ and the tournament’s top seed.
LIU eliminated, too: LIU and Central Arkansas met in an NCAA Division I Tuscaloosa Regional elimination game, and Central Arkansas made the outcome clear in Alabama before the Sharks even came to bat.
The Bears scored 13 runs in the top of the first against three pitchers and went on to claim a 15-0, five-inning victory.
Morgan Nelson hit two homers and drove in five for the ASUN Conference champs. She highlighted the first-inning rally with a two-run double and a two-run homer. There were also four bases-loaded walks.
Kayla Beaver (25-7) fired a two-hitter, allowing only singles by Maya Avila and Devon Medina in the second. Kira Buckner (7-9) took the loss.
LIU, which lost its regional opener to Alabama, 5-0, Friday, won the Northeast Conference title. The Sharks reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2016 and finished 32-26.
BASEBALL
Eastern Connecticut State 5, St. Joseph’s 4: Fourth-seeded St. Joseph’s twice lost two-run leads against No. 3 Eastern Connecticut State and was eliminated from the NCAA Division III Cortland Regional at SUNY Cortland.
The Golden Eagles went 0-2 in the tournament and wound up at 30-11.
They led, 4-2, entering the last of the seventh. Jason Claiborn tied it with a two-run home run, his second homer of the game. Then Matt Malcom brought in an unearned run against Coram’s Michael Manzolillo (3-2) with a two-out, walk-off infield single in the ninth.
St. John’s 14, Butler 4: New Hyde Park’s Luke Orbon delivered a double, a triple and two RBIs and his brother, Paul Orbon, also had two hits and drove in a run to help the Red Storm (28-25, 8-12 Big East) close the season with a sweep of the three-game road series.
Anthony Brienza had two hits and a career-high four RBIs for St. John’s.
Towson 12, Stony Brook 2: Evan Fox had two of the Seawolves’ five hits, including an RBI single, in their season finale.
Stony Brook (23-29, 14-16 in the CAA) used eight pitchers. Eddie Smink (3-6) took the loss after working the first two innings and allowing an unearned run.