NEWARK, Del. – Junior transfer Zuzana Kudernatschova earned her third win in as many outings on Friday afternoon, as she helped lead the University of Hartford softball team (5-10) to a 3-2 win over Norfolk State to kick-off the Delaware Invitational. Hartford went on to finish the opening day of the Invitational with a 1-1 split after dropping game two to the Villanova Wildcats, 6-3.

The first two and a half innings proved to be a pitcher's duel between Kudernatschova and Norfolk State (6-13) starter Liz Riley as the two squads combined to put just three runners on base during that stretch. Kudernastschova had her "A" game going, as she fanned five Spartans during that opening stretch while inducing two ground outs and issuing just two walks.

Hartford backed up its ace's performance with three runs in the bottom of the third inning. After Erica Phelps and Peyton Fisher knocked back-to-back singles to start off the frame, Amber Andrews made it bases loaded with no outs recorded after getting pegged by a Riley pitch. Two batters later, senior shortstop Kate Wacyk put the first run on the board, using an infield single to make it 1-0.

The rally continued for the Hawks, who pushed their lead to 3-0 following a miscue in the infield by Norfolk State. With one out, senior Jordan Haines reached base via a fielder's choice, but a throwing error by the Spartans' shortstop allowed both Fisher and Andrews to come across home from second and third to make it a 3-0 ball game.

Kudernatschova continued to pack the heat, retiring nine of the next 10 batters, all in a row, to maintain Hartford's 3-0 lead heading into the final inning. In their final at-bats, though, the Spartans put up late comeback, but stranded the game-tying run on second base.

Hartford recorded the first out of the top of the seventh quickly as Kudernataschova fanned her eighth batter of the game to start, but the Spartans managed to put runners on the corners after Chelsea Davis walked, and took two more bags on the next play, an fielder's choice that saw an infield error committed by Hartford.

The ensuing batter saw Kudernatschova picked up her career-best ninth struck out and earn the second out of the inning, but the Hawks' miscue would come back to haunt them as Whitney Williams smacked a bases clearing, two-run double into centerfield to bring the Spartans within a single run at 3-2. The game-tying run never made it past second base, with Melina Valles hitting into an outfield fly to end the game.

Despite leading for the majority of game two, the Villanova Wildcats (9-7) staged a late, sixth-inning comeback to defeat the Hawks, 6-3, in the nightcap. Jenice Aloyo and Wacyk each finished with two hits while Kelly knocked-in a pair of runs to pace the offense.

Kelly provided Hartford with the 2-0 advantage, launching a two-out single into right field to plate Andrew and Aloyo who started off the game with two-straight singles. The Hawks were unable to do anymore early damage, though, as Kelly was gunned down at second after attempting to turn her base hit into a two-bagger.

Villanova grabbed one of those runs back in the bottom of the first to make it a 2-1 game. Shea Palmer started the frame off by earning a walk, and was pushed to third following an infield ground out and a sacrifice fly. The Wildcats' small ball paid off as Palmer scored from third on an RBI double to left centerfield off the bat off Beth Smetana.

The score remained frozen at 2-1 for three more innings until Hartford pushed its advantage to 3-1 in the top of the fifth. Wacyk hit an RBI double with no outs to right centerfield with Aloyo on base to provide the Hawks with the two-run cushion.

Villanova staged a comeback though in the bottom of the sixth. Valerie Ortega hit a two-run triple to the gap in right-center field with nobody out to tie the score at 3-3, the first time Villanova had drawn even after trailing since the top of the first inning. She then scored on a fielding error on the next play after her triple to give the Wildcats a 4-3 lead, while another error later in the inning and an RBI single by junior shortstop Ali Lowe capped the rally.

Junior Kaitlyn Meade allowed just one run through five innings, but took the loss after conceding five runs to the Wildcats in the bottom of the sixth. She finished the game with two strikeouts.

The Hawks return to the diamond on Saturday for two more games. Hartford first faces the host-team Delaware Blue Hens (9 a.m.) before finishing the day with another matchup against Norfolk State (1:30 p.m.).