WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford softball team fell to Boston University in a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon. The Terriers took the opening game by an 11-2 final and went on to cruise to a 9-2 win in the nightcap. Hartford and Boston University will play the series finale on Monday with a 12 noon start time.

Hartford drops to 7-29 (2-9 AE) while Boston University improves to 26-12 with an 8-3 mark in league play. Junior Shannon Simpkins combined for four hits in six at-bats and scored twice while designated player Nicole Springer led the Hawks with three RBIs on a 2-for-4 outing at the plate.

Boston University grabbed a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the second and never looked back in Game One. Third baseman Megan Volpano got things going for the Terriers when she found the seam in right field and extended the hit for two bases. Next in line was Chelsea Kehr who advanced her teammate when she was nicked by Kaitlyn Meade's pitch. The Hartford hurler was quick to redeem herself as she retired the next two Terriers but could not get the third out in time as Christina Valdes cleaned up the diamond when she delivered a three-run shot over the left field wall.

Hartford got the bats going in the bottom of the fourth as it put four runners aboard on as many hits in the frame. The Hawks managed to scratch just one run across home plate however as Springer doubled to drive in Simpkins, who notched a lead-off single, with two outs recorded in the inning.

Amy Ekart responded for Boston University in its next at-bats when she swung at the first pitch of the stanza and crushed a bomb over the left field fence to push the momentum in favor of the Terriers and help the squad regain a three-run edge at 4-1. In the same frame, the visitors then used a walk, an infield single and an intentional walk to fill up the bases allowing two runs to come across home plate when Kehr singled up the middle of the infield to extend the advantage to 7-1.

The Terriers lit up the scoreboard again with a single run in the sixth and exploded for four more in the seventh to extend their lead to 11-1. In Hartford's final go-around, a two-out single from Kate Wacyk brought home Amber Andrews from third to put the Hawks' second and final tally on the board.

In five innings, Meade allowed nine runs – seven earned – on 11 hits and fanned three batters. Springer threw for two innings, giving up two runs and striking out one in the process.

In the nightcap, the Terriers broke open a 1-1 deadlock in the third inning behind a two run home run by Volpano and an RBI single off the bat of Brittany Clendenny. The Hawks managed to get one of those runs back as three consecutive singles filled up the bases with no outs recorded in the bottom of the third. After a close call at home plate that saw Simpkins get picked off on a wild pitch, Springer blasted a base hit to second base, scoring Lauren Kamena from third to close in on the Terriers' lead at 4-2.

The Terriers pushed their advantage to 6-2 in the fifth frame and went on to add three more insurance runs in the top of the seventh to seal the game at 9-2. Siera Sheehan took the loss inside of the circle for Hartford, allowing nine earned runs. She struck out four opponents in six innings. For the Terriers, Whitney Tuthill went the distance, allowing a pair of runs and finishing the contest with two strikeouts.