West Hartford, CT - In a match-up that featured two of the top-three teams in the America East, the University of Hartford softball team split a doubleheader with Boston University on Sunday afternoon at the UH Softball Field. The Hawks bounced back from a 3-1 loss in the first game to take the nightcap by a 4-3 final.
In the first contest of the afternoon, junior Cassidy Hardy (14-4) earned the win in the pitcher's circle, allowing one earned run on five hits while striking out four batters. The Terriers never trailed in the game as they connected on seven hits to put up three runs.
The opening innings proved to be a pitcher's duel as Hartford hurler Brittney Stratton and Hardy added zeroes to the scoreboard in the first three stanzas. Stratton saw just one more than the minimum batters in the first two innings allowing a double off the bat of junior April Setterlund. The Hartford ace compiled two of her six strikeouts in the first. In the top of the second frame, Stratton retired the next three Terriers in order, forcing Rachel Hebert, Brooke Hudson and Shayne Lotito into infield ground outs.
Hardy also opened the game on fire, retiring the first six batters of the Hartford line-up in order, striking out Lauren Kamena, and forcing both Sara Messinger and Amanda Sais to ground out to the circle in the first. The Terriers' pitcher experienced a similar second inning, putting the Hawks down in order on a ground out to third base, an infield pop-up and another infield grounder to the shortstop.
The teams traded runs in the fourth to put the first notches on the scoreboard. Stratton fanned Boston University's power-hitter, Setterlund, to lead off the fourth inning. The Terriers managed to get a runner on base on a single off the bat of Melissa Dubay that snuck under the glove of Hartford's diving second baseman, Jackie Simonetty. With Roesch at the plate, Dubay stole second and scored on an error on an infield pop-up that slipped out of the glove of Rachel Clonick for the game's first run.
The Hawks were quick to retaliate, crossing one run across the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth on an inside the park home run by right fielder Sais. With one out, the left-handed slap hitter connected on an inside pitch by Hardy, sending the ball hard down the third base line past Boston University's left fielder Lotito. Sais rounded third as the ball was fielded, and crossed the plate before a play could be made knot up the score at one run apiece.
The Terriers added their second run of the game in the top of the fifth inning as Stratton and the Hawks ran into trouble on a combination of two walks and two base hits. With one out, Rachel Hebert worked a walk off of Stratton, and advanced to second on a single off the bat of Hudson. The Terriers found themselves with bases loaded following another walk, and an RBI single by Setterland plated Hebert, the eventual game-winning run. Boston University scratched one more insurance run across the scoreboard in the top of the seventh, giving the Terriers a 3-1 advantage over the Hawks.
Entering the bottom of the seventh facing a two-run deficit, Kristen Cericola blasted a double over Boston University's second baseman Roesch into right field to lead off the Hawks' final at-bats. Hardy forced Clonick into a fly out for the inning's first out, and pinch-hitter Olivia Piacentini went down looking for the second out. Hardy retired Simonetty on a ground ball to the shortstop for the final out of the game to earn her 13th victory of the season. For the Hawks, Stratton pitched seven complete innings and fanned six batters, giving up three runs ? two earned ? on seven hits.
Setterlund led the Terriers at the plate, batting 3-for-4 with a double and one run scored. For the Hawks, Sais led the offense finishing 1-for-3, scoring Hartford's lone run of the game. Anrico went 2-for-2 recording a pair of singles.
In the afternoon's second game, Hartford (13-13 overall, 6-3 AE) used a four-run third inning rally to erase a 3-0 Boston University (26-12 overall, 6-3 AE) lead for the eventual 4-3 victory. The Terriers plated three early runs off Stratton following a two-run first inning and a single run in the third to score its only runs of the game for a 3-0 lead over Hartford.
The Hawks rallied for four runs in the third inning for their first lead of the game, which was all they needed to come out of the nightcap with a win. Back-to-back walks issued by Terrier pitcher Megan Currier followed by a base hit to center field by Messinger loaded the bases, allowing a Sais walk to plate Anrico, the lead runner, for the Hawks first run of the game. Junior Ann Kyzer drove home Kamena on a single down the left field line. The Hawks' final two runs of the inning came off a bases loaded single by Cericola plating Sais from third and Messinger from second.
Stratton combined to throw for 14 complete innings, compiling 12 total strikeouts in the doubleheader split. In game two, the junior fanned six Terriers, giving up three runs on nine hits, earning her 10th win of the season. Kyzer and Cericola led the Hawks' offense in game two. Kyzer singled and doubled to finish 2-for-3 while Cericola drove in two of Hartford's four runs in its third inning rally.
For the Terriers, Setterlund sparked the offense with a 3-for-4 performance, including two doubles and one run scored. Inside the circle, Currier threw for 2.1 innings, giving up all four of Boston University's runs to earn the loss. The junior recorded three strikeouts. Kelley Engman pitched 3.2 innings, giving up no runs and striking out three batters.
The rubber match of the three-game series between the Hawks and Terriers will be played Monday, April 13 at the UH Softball Field. The first pitch is scheduled to be thrown at 12 p.m.
