Stony Brook, NY ? In mid-week America East action, the University of Hartford softball team split a doubleheader with the Seawolves of Stony Brook. The Hawks fell by an 8-2 final in the opening game before scoring a 2-1 come-from-behind victory in the nightcap.
Timely hitting off the bats of Lindsey Anrico and Sara Messinger backed up by a solid outing inside the circle from junior Brittney Stratton led Hartford (12-12, 5-2 AE) to its 2-1 defeat of Stony Brook (22-1, 6-2 AE) in game two.
After opening the nightcap with a five and a half inning scoreless duel between Stratton and Stony Brook starter Casey Jacobs, the Seawolves crossed the first run of the game across the plate in the bottom of the sixth. Stratton issued a walk to Crista Cerrone to start the inning. A successfully landed sacrifice bunt by Kelsi Fanelli advanced Cerrone to second. Back-to-back walks by Stratton loaded the bases for the Seawolves with two outs, allowing Cerrone to score on a bunt by Kendall Blumenthal. Stratton struck out Clare, the center fielder, to close out the inning with a 1-0 lead in favor of the Seawolves.
Entering their final at-bats facing a 1-0 deficit, the Hawks plated the game-tying and eventual game-winning runs in the top of the seventh. Cericola started the offense for Hartford with a bunt, reaching first base. A single by Clonick put Hartford runners at first and second with no outs. Stony Brook ace Struzenberg replaced Jacobs inside the circle in an attempt for her second save of the season. The hurler earned back-to-back strikeouts, fanning sophomore Lauren Kamena and senior Jackie Simonetty. Hartford did all its damage with two outs, as a single off the bat of Lindsey Anrico drove home Cericola, the game-tying run. Following a walk by Simpkins, Messinger plated the eventual game-winning run on an RBI single to the short stop, scoring Clonick.
Stratton retired the Stony Brook line-up in order for the final three outs of the inning to give the Hawks a 2-1 victory over the Seawolves. The junior earned her ninth win of the season, recording 11 strikeouts and giving up one run on two hits in seven complete innings of action.
Jacobs allowed two runs off four hits in six innings, tallying five strike outs. In one inning, Struzenberg recorded three strikeouts. The Seawolves were led by the designated hitter, Blumenthal, who went 1-for-3 while driving in the Seawolves' lone run of the game.
In the opening game of the doubleheader, the Seawolves worked Hartford hurler Siera Sheehan early, taking a 3-0 lead on the Hawks after two innings of action. Vicki Kavitsky led off the first inning with a single up the middle of the infield. With runners on first and second after a walk by Fanelli, a throwing error by Hartford third baseman Sara Messinger scored Kavitsky for the first run of the game. With runners on the corners and just one out, Sheehan struck out Molly Kestranek and Blumenthal grounded out to the short stop to end the inning with minimal damage.
After striking out Jade Clare and Suzanne Karath to open the second, Stony Brook managed to scratch two more runs across the scoreboard. Kavitsky got the Seawolves' bats going with a single. She scored Stony Brook's second run of the game off an RBI double off the bat of Cerrone. An error on Fanelli's left field single allowed Cerrone to score from second to put the Seawolves up 3-0. Sheehan earned the final out of the inning for the Hawks, striking out Marissa Fleury.
The Hawks could not capitalize on key hits early in the game, stranding two runners in scoring position in the first two innings. Right fielder Amanda Sais singled with two out and reached second on an error by Cerrone, the Seawolves' left fielder. Hartford was unable to plate a run as junior Ann Kyzer lined out to third base.
Hartford plated its first run of the game in the top of the third. The Hawks loaded up the bases on a walk by Shannon Simpkins, a Messinger single and a walk by Amanda Sais. A single to left field off the bat of Kyzer scored Simpkins to put the Hawks on the scoreboard.
A three-run fourth inning gave the Seawolves a 6-1 advantage over the Hawks. Kavitsky led off the bottom of the frame with a single down the right field line, setting the scene for Cerrone, who knocked her third home run of the season over the left center fence. The hits continued for Stony Brook as two hits and a sacrifice fly added the final run of the inning to the scoreboard.
The Seawolves plated two more runs in the fifth inning to boost the score to 8-1. Kavitsky led off the inning with a double to left center for her second hit of the game. She crossed the plate on a single by Cerrone, who was thrown out at second in an attempt to go for the extra-base hit. Fanelli cleared the bases with a two run homer over the right center wall.
Hartford would only add one more run in the sixth inning on a lead-off home run by senior Kristen Cericola to left center. The solo shot was the center fielder's fifth of the season ? a team-high.
Five Seawolves recorded multiple hits, with Fanelli leading the Stony Brook offense finishing a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with a homer, two runs scored and two RBI. Kavitsky went 4-for-5 with two doubles, crossing the plate four times. Struzenberg pitched seven innings, tallying 10 strikeouts and allowing two runs on eight hits in her 12th win of the season.
For the Hawks, Sheehan threw for six innings, allowing eight runs ? seven earned ? on 15 hits. The rookie struck out four batters. Cericola led the Hartford offense going 3-for-4, falling just a double short of the cycle.
The Hawks will return to action this weekend when they host a three-game series with the Terriers of Boston University at the UH Softball Field. The Hawks and Terriers are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Saturday, with the first pitch slated for 1:00 p.m. The final game of the series will be played on Sunday at 12 p.m.
