BOX SCORE
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford softball team was blanked by the Maine Black Bears by an 8-0 final in the rubber-match of the three game series on Sunday afternoon at the UH Softball Field.
Ashley Kelley earned her seventh win of the season after pitching a one hit, five inning shutout. The clean slate was her second-straight as the junior did not allow Hartford to get on the scoreboard in game two of Saturday's doubleheader. Kelley combined to throw 12.0 scoreless innings against the Hawks.
Freshman Nicole Springer disrupted Kelley's perfect game with a two-out double in the bottom of the fourth inning. With the hit, the rookie extended her hitting-streak to seven games. Springer finished 4-for-8 with a pair of doubles and drove in one run to lead Hartford at the plate in this weekend's series.
Brittney Stratton took the loss inside the circle for the Hawks to fall to 6-2 overall. In four innings, the senior gave up seven runs – four earned – on five hits and fanned five Black Bears. Springer threw the final inning in relief. The rookie scattered three hits and allowed one earned run.
Maine got on the scoreboard early with a single run in the top of the first and followed-up with a four run, third inning rally. The Black Bears cushioned their lead 5-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth inning and one more in the fifth for the mercy-rule win.
Alexis Souhlaris put Maine's first notch on the scoreboard, as she led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, reached third on an outfield error and coasted 60 feet to home plate on a sacrifice fly by Kristen Calvetti.
The Black Bears' third inning rally was sparked by back-to-back singles off the bats of Kristen Calvetti and Kali Burnham, the latter plating Terren Hall who induced a one out walk. With runners on first and second, Kirsten Allen sent a long ball over the centerfield fence, notching her third homer of the season.
Hall's fourth inning homer to left center field also plated sophomore Lindsey Jenkins who reached on an infield error to lead off the inning, and the Black Bears would use three consecutive hits, including a lead-off double by Burnham, to plate their eighth and final run of the game.
The Hawks will resume action on Wednesday, March 31 as they hit the road for a non-conference twinbill with the Holy Cross Crusaders. First pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m.
