West Hartford, Conn. - The University of Hartford softball team dropped a pair of games in a double header against the Albany Great Danes on Saturday. The Hawks fell by scores of 3-2 in the first game and 5-2 in the second game, falling 10-8 on the season and 1-4 in America East Conference action.

The Great Danes struck first in the opening game, scoring all three runs before the Hawks could put a mark on the scoreboard. Albany's first run of the game came in the fourth inning on a solo home run to deep left field with one out. Kat Smith opened the scoring with her second long ball of the season.

Jess Bergin kept the fourth inning offense going for the visitors, knocking her fourth double of the season to left center field with two outs. Bailey Van Deest followed that hit with a double of her own to left field, driving in Bergin for the second run of the inning.

The Great Danes added one more run in the fifth inning, what amounted to be the game winning run. Michelle Connors began the two-out offense with a triple to right center field, eluding the glove of a diving Jessica Oliveira. She then scored on a wild pitch during the next at bat.

The Hawks began their comeback in the bottom half of the fifth inning when Erica Phelps opened the inning with the second hit of the game for Hartford, an infield single to third base. She then took second on a two-out single to left center field from Oliveira, both were then driven home on a double to center field from Nicole Springer, as her high pop up eluded center fielder Kristine Bell as it drifted with a brisk right to left breeze.

The Hawks comeback continued in the bottom of the seventh as senior Amanda Dilworth opened the inning with a double down the left field line, she ended up being stranded at second. Hartford couldn't connect against relief pitcher Marissa Powell as she finished out the game for her first save of the season.

In the second game of the day, Hartford put the first score on the board, manufacturing a run in the bottom of the second inning. The play began with a lead off walk to rookie Jordan Haines who took second a single to center from Rachel Clonick. Kate Wacyk then loaded the bases on a single up the middle, and Ann Kyzer knocked in Haines on the third straight single, an infield single to short stop. However, the Hawks would leave the bases loaded to end the inning.

The lead wouldn't last very long as the Great Danes erased the lead and took one of their own in the top of the third inning. Katie Wambold began the inning with a single to center field and then took second on a infield groundout. Andrianna Walraven knocked in the run on a single to left field before stealing second and becoming the go ahead run when she was knocked home on a single to center by Michelle Connors.

Junior center fielder Kristine Bill added two more runs to the Great Danes lead in the top of the fifth win one swing of the bat, sending her first home run of the season mid way up the net in left field. Bill knocked in Katie Wambold who reached base with a one-out infield single to short stop.

The Hawks put one final run on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning, when Clonick sent her second home run of th season over the fence just inside the left field line. However, the Great Danes took that run right back with the third RBI of the game from Bill who sent a shot to the fence in right center field, scoring Jessica Bergin who singled to center field to lead off the inning.

Hartford wraps-up its series with Albany with game three on Sunday, April 4. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.