Softball Drops Two to Delaware and Norfolk State

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 NEWARK, Del. – The University of Hartford softball team dropped two games on Saturday at the Delaware Invitational. The Hawks suffered a 1-0 loss to the host-team Hens to start the day before falling victim to a late rally by Norfolk State and taking a 5-3 defeat in the afternoon contest. Hartford (5-12) wraps-up play at the Delaware Invitational with at 9 a.m. when it takes on St. Francis (PA).

The Hawks' bats were connecting in the opening game, knocking eight hits, but they were never able to scratch any of those base runners past home plate.

Delaware (16-3) scored the lone run of the pitcher's duel in the top of the fifth, but plated that run on a costly Hartford error. Jessica Grisler started off the frame with a single up the middle of the infield, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Lara Andrews. Grisler then crossed home plate on what should have been the third out of the inning, putting the run on the board following a misplayed fly ball by Hartford's leftfielder.

Hartford had ample scoring opportunities, including chances in the first three innings. Junior Amber Andrews singled to start the offense for the Hawks in the bottom of the first, but she would get no further than second base as Chenxi Jiao put down the next three batters to end the stanza.

The Hawks found themselves in a similar situation in the bottom half of the second, leaving two runners on the base paths without producing a run. With one out recorded, senior Melani Maxwell singled to right field and rookie Sawyer Fried followed suit in the next at-bat, ripping a single through the right side. Erica Phelps, the next batter in line, reached on a fielder's choice and pushed the Hawks' lead runner to third, but Hartford would come up empty as Fisher hit into an outfield fly for the final out.

In its final go-around at the plate, Hartford had the game-tying run at second base with one out after Fried singled to left field and took second base on a sacrifice bunt. The Hawks were unable to advance Fried any further, though, as Delaware's defense retired the final two batters by inducing them into pop-outs.

With six strikeouts, Zuzana Kudernatschova went the distance in the circle for the Hawks, allowing one unearned run on six Blue Hens' hits. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for the junior transfer. For Delaware, Jiao struck out one batter to improve to 4-2 on the year.

Saturday's second game was a back-and-forth affair for Hartford, which grabbed a 2-0 lead with single runs in the third and fourth innings. Norfolk State went on to take the lead with three runs in the bottom of the fourth, but that advantage was short-lived as the Hawks tied up the game at 3-3 in the top of the fifth. The Spartans' bats got hot, though, as they broke the deadlock with a pair of tallies in the bottom of the sixth to score the 5-3 victory.

The Hawks' offense managed just three hits in the outing. Kaitlyn Meade earned the game two start, allowing three runs, one earned, in 3.1 innings. Sophomore Brittany Beebe took over the duties for the final 2.2 innings, conceding the Spartans' go-ahead run.

Andrews singled to lead off the bats in the third for Hartford, and after moving to second on a sacrifice bunt, the second baseman broke open the 0-0 deadlock using her speed on the base paths. With one out, Andrews stole third, and after Wacyk reached base on a fielding error by Norfolk State's pitcher, she raced to home on a double steal to put the Hawks ahead, 1-0.

An RBI double off the bat of Phelps doubled Hartford's lead in the top half of the fourth, but Norfolk State (7-14) rallied back in the bottom part of the frame, scoring three runs to take the 3-2 edge.

With one out recorded, Valles and Cortes delivered back-to-back singles for the Spartans. Stewart, who pinch ran for Valles, then crossed home for Norfolk State's first run of the outing, scoring on a base hit by Pettit. The Spartans then produced the game-tying and the go-ahead run, using another single by Ward to push ahead for the first time at 3-2. Pettit scored on the hit, and Cortez came across home on the same play, putting the Spartans in front on a fielding error committed by the Hawks.

The Hawks came back to tie up the game in the top of the fifth, but the Spartans rallied again, putting up two runs in the bottom part of the sixth stanza to regain the lead at 5-3.

After earning a one-out walk, Wacyk knotted up the game at 3-3, getting help from an infield throwing error by the Spartans' second baseman. Hartford was unable to produce any more runs that frame, and Norfolk State went on to respond with two in the bottom of the sixth, taking the lead on two-straight RBI singles off the bats of Mitchell and Valles.

Riley, who took over the duties in the circle for Schulle after 3.2 innings, closed out the game and sealed the Spartans' win after putting down the final three Hawks in order.

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