BOX SCORE - GAME #1
BOX SCORE - GAME #2

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Quinnipiac Bobcats halted the University of Hartford softball team's three-game win streak on Wednesday when it swept a pair from the Hawks at the University of Hartford Softball Field. Hartford dips to 8-36 on the season while Quinnipiac improves its record to 26-15 with the doubleheader sweep.

Hartford and Quinnipiac battled through eight innings in the opening game, but after coming back from a two run deficit in the top of the fifth, it was the Bobcats who ended up on top by a 4-3 final. The Bobcats went on to grab game two by a final count of 5-1.

Peyton Fisher, a rookie, paced the Hawks at the plate, combining to go 3-for-5 on the afternoon with an RBI. Rookies Devynne Butler and Jackie Kelly also finished with multiple hits on the day, each adding a pair for Hartford which was outhit by its opponents by a 20-9 margin.

In the first game of the afternoon, second baseman Amber Andrews provided Hartford with its 2-0 lead in the bottom of the third by collecting a pair of RBI after notching the Hawks' third infield single of the frame, plating both Erica Phelps and Butler on the hit.

Inside of the circle, rookie Ana Alberti, who had spread out just four hits in the first four innings, surrendered five hits in the top half of the fifth which, coupled with an error, led to three Bobcats' runs and provided the visiting squad with its first advantage of the game at 3-2.

The Hawks fought back in their final at-bats and leveled the score at three runs apiece in the bottom of the seventh. With one out and two on, Fisher, the designated player, hit a chopper up the middle of the infield, which was scored as a fielder's choice, to bring in Phelps from third and force extra innings. The run scored was the second for Hartford's left fielder in the game.

In the top half of the eighth frame, the Bobcats' Kortney Kesses was rewarded with the game-winning RBI after drawing a one-out walk with the bases loaded. Jacquie Ristow, Quinnipiac's second baseman, started things off with a lead-off double to centerfield, forcing a pitching change that saw Siera Sheehan take over in the circle. The veteran pitcher then issued a walk to Alex Alba and one batter later, Katie Alfiere loaded up the bases for the Bobcats after drawing another walk, setting the scene for Kesses.

Hartford could not muster up any offense in the bottom of the eighth as Heather Schwartzburg put down the Hawks' third, fourth and fifth batters in the line-up to close out the game.

Schwartzburg, who took over the pitching duties for Alfiere after 5.1 innings, earned the game one victory. She surrendered one earned run on one hit in 2.2 innings of work while compiling five strikeouts. Alfiere allowed a pair of earned runs on two hits, walking one and striking out two.

For Hartford, Alberti took the loss, dropping to 1-7 on the season. The rookie tossed seven innings and allowed four runs, all earned, on 11 hits. Butler finished 2-for-3 at the plate with one run to lead Hartford.

In game two, Quinnipiac struck first in the top of the third on a bases clearing double by Mina Duffy and pulled ahead by a 4-0 count before the end of the frame. The Bobcats added an insurance run in the next inning, using a double steal to plate Kesses from home for their fifth run of the outing.

Kelly snagged one run back and put the Hawks on the board in the bottom of the sixth with her first career long ball, taking a Christy Cabrera pitch with two outs and slamming it over the wall of left field to close the gap to 5-1.

Hartford stranded six base runners in the second game of the afternoon, including three in the bottom of the second. In that inning, the Hawks loaded up the bases as Butler reached on a fielder's choice, Fisher knocked an infield single and Andrews was hit by a pitch. Cabrera got out of the jam however before any damage was done by inducing Shannon Simpkins into an infield ground out.

Cabrera improves to 4-7, allowing one run and striking out three while Sheehan, who allowed five runs, one earned, dropps to 7-10 with the loss. She recorded four strikeouts in the outing and did not issue a walk.

The Hawks continue mid-week action on Thursday with a short drive down 84-East to take on the Connecticut Huskies in Storrs for a single game at 4:00 p.m.