GAME #1 BOX SCORE
GAME #2 BOX SCORE
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – In its home debut and the opening games of league play, the University of Hartford softball team dropped a doubleheader to the Binghamton Bearcats. In game one, the Hawks fell in five innings by a 10-2 final and went on to drop a 14-2, six-inning decision in the nightcap.
Hartford (3-13) was led by junior Shannon Simpkins who combined to finish 3-for-6 at the plate. Lauren Kamena, a senior left fielder, led the Hawks' offense through game one, driving in a pair of runs on a 2-for-3 performance. Sophomore Jordan Haines accounted for two runs in the afternoon's second game on her first homer of the 2011 campaign. The Bearcats homered nine times – including six in game two – to improve to 9-7 overall.
Binghamton was first to get on the scoreboard in the opening game using an RBI single off the bat of Deannie Plemon to score a single run in its first at-bats. The Bearcats added a pair of runs in the second frame to go up 3-0 before Colleen Whitaker hit a grand slam to push the visitor's lead to 6-0.
The Hawks got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the third inning on a two-run double by Kamena. Binghamton responded however in the following frame, extending its lead to 10-2 on back-to-back doubles and a two-run long ball by Colleen Whitaker. The Bearcats kept the Hawks off the scoreboard in the fourth and fifth to secure the win after five innings.
In the circle, Rhoda Marstellar earned the win, allowing two earned runs while striking out one in four innings. Siera Sheehan suffered the loss for the Hawks. She fanned three batters in 1.1 innings.
In the nightcap, Binghamton exploded for a 10-run top of the sixth, which included four home runs, to open the game. Kristen Emerling earned the win for the Bearcats to improve to 3-2. Rookie hurler Kaitlyn Meade suffered the loss, falling to 2-6 on the season.
After plating a single run in the opening frame of game two on a solo shot by Jessica Phillips, Binghamton pushed its lead to 3-0 when Lisa Cutrona belted out a two run shot to center field in the following inning. The Hawks responded in the bottom of the frame however as Kamena, who worked a lead-off walk off of Bearcats' hurler Kristen Emerling, reached home on when Haines drilled a two-run home run with two outs to put the home team on the scoreboard.
Binghamton stretched its lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth on an RBI double off the bat of Blessing before the Bearcats pounded out 10 runs in the sixth. The Hawks managed to scratch a pair of runs across the scoreboard in the bottom of the frame however the squad could not claw back from the deficit, leaving the bases juiced when the game ended.
The Hawks and Bearcats will wrap-up their weekend series on Sunday with Game Three. First pitch is slated for 12:00 noon.
