BOX SCORE

STORRS, Conn. – The University of Hartford softball team's offense exploded on Thursday afternoon as the Hawks rallied back from an early deficit to pull off the upset over in-state rivals Connecticut by a final score of 13-7. Four players recorded multiple hits for the Hawks, who scored the most runs in a single outing since the 2009 campaign in a 14-0 defeat of Rhode Island, led by senior Shannon Simpkins' 3-for-5 effort.

Hartford has won four of its last six games and improves to 9-36 with the triumph. Connecticut, which has dropped its last four games, falls to 21-23 overall.

Simpkins also scored three times in the game while second baseman Amber Andrews, catcher Jordan Haines and right fielder Devynne Butler each finished with a pair of hits. Jackie Kelly and Melani Maxwell, the Hawks' third baseman and first baseman, respectively, each knocked in a pair of runs, joining left fielder Margaret Betz with multiple RBI on the afternoon.

Connecticut wasted no time in getting on the scoreboard as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one inning of play. The Hawks got on the board in the second inning as Haines, who slammed a lead-off two-bagger and reached third following an outfield single by Kelly, crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Betz.

Hartford, however, did its damage in the top half of the third as Huskies' pitcher Kiki Saveriano loaded up the bases and Maxwell, Betz and Kelly worked three-straight walks to tie up the game at four runs apiece. After Connecticut called on Katelyn Callahan to get out of the jam, the Hawks continued to light up the scoreboard as Butler earned another free RBI while providing Hartford with its first lead after working the count for four balls and Fisher was hit by a pitch to make it a 6-4 contest.

Hartford then blew open the game, plating a single run in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Kelly and adding five more runs in the top of the fifth to triple its lead to 12-4. Maxwell knocked her first home run of the season with one out and the Hawks continued the rally with a flurry of errors to cushion their lead.

Connecticut managed to hang around in the bottom half of the fifth as it scratched across three runs using three hits and an error to cut its deficit to five but Hartford answered and pushed its lead to 13-7 using an RBI single off the bat of Amber Andrews to reach the game's eventual final score.

Senior Siera Sheehan earned her eighth win of the season after going the distance, allowing seven runs – three earned – while fanning three batters.

The Hawks resume America East conference play when they travel to Boston University for a three-game set with the Terriers. The two teams will begin the series with a doubleheader on Saturday, with first pitch scheduled for 1:00 p.m.