ROCK HILL, S.C. – Despite seeing its two scheduled games against Monmouth and Virginia cancelled due to inclement weather at the Winthrop Tournament, the University of Hartford softball team made an appearance on the diamond, and bested Rhode Island, 6-5, in nine innings on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks (2-6) conclude play on Sunday with a single game against Furman at 11:00 a.m.

The Hawks jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and stayed ahead until the bottom of the sixth when the Rams tied things up at 3-3. After the two squads swapped a pair of runs in the first extra session, senior Kate Wacyk roped a two-out double in the top of the ninth, scoring Peyton Fisher in what proved to be the game-winning run.

Senior Jordan Haines enjoyed a productive day at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a homer and a double while recording four RBI and scoring twice. Kaitlyn Meade, a junior, worked seven innings inside of the circle, allowing four earned runs during that span. She finished with three strikeouts. Sophomore Brittany Beebe closed out the game, allowing one earned run and fanning one batter.

The offense was efficient for Hartford to start the game. Amber Andrews earned a lead-off walk to open things up, but the next two Hawks were quickly put down. Sophomore Jackie Kelly didn't allow URI to end the inning, though, as she singled, and senior Haines homered for the first time this season, providing Hartford with the early 3-0 advantage.

URI struck the scoreboard in the bottom half of the third, scoring on a deep RBI single from Lauren Klepchick that drove in Courtney Predergast, who doubled earlier in the inning. From there, Meade retired six of the next seven Rams, allowing just one hit during that span, but URI was able to complete its comeback in the sixth, plating two runs.

With one out recorded, Erika Syzmanski and Jocelyn Mattison delivered back-to-back singles for the Rams, who knotted up the game at 3-3 two batters later following a bases clearing double from Megan Congro.

In extra innings, Hartford pushed ahead, 4-3 but could not hold on to that advantage as URI grabbed the run back in the bottom part of the frame. Wacyk, who was placed on second to begin the inning as a result of the international softball tie breaking rule, was pushed up 60 feet to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kelly and gave her team the lead following a double from Haines.

URI responded and again tied up the game, 4-4, as Megan. Congro was pushed across home on back-to-back URI groundouts. The Hawks would clinch the game for good in the ninth and the Hawks' defense stepped up in the bottom half of the frame, forcing Amy Gleason into a double play and striking out Olivia Hendricks to end the game.