BALTIMORE ? The University of Hartford softball team wrapped up the third seed in the upcoming America East Championship with a 7-2 victory at UMBC on Sunday afternoon.

The Hawks (22-25 overall, 12-8 America East), who took two of three games with UMBC over the weekend, will face the second-seeded Retrievers again in the first round on Thursday, May 10 (time TBA) at Boston University. Top-seeded Boston University will face fourth-seeded Albany in the day's other match-up.

Freshman Brittney Stratton (15-10 overall) picked up her ninth conference victory of the season, holding UMBC to only two runs (one earned) on five hits through seven innings. She also walked one while striking out five.

Freshman Amanda Dilworth set the tone for the Hartford offense by leading off the game with a solo homer, her second of the season. The Hawks added three more runs in the first inning to take a commanding 4-0 lead. Sophomore Kristen Cericola drove in a pair with a bases-loaded single with two outs and freshman Rachel Clonick followed with an RBI single.

UMBC got a run back in the second, but Hartford slammed the door with three runs in the third. Sophomore Amanda Sais hit a two-out, bases-loaded single that brought in two runs while senior Nikki Thompson later walked with the bases full to plate the third run.

Stratton was steady for the rest of the game, allowing only one more run on a solo homer in the fifth. Cericola went 4-for-4 in the game with two RBI and a run scored.