Kudernatschova Throws 10-Hitless Innings to Lead Hawks to 1-0 Win Over Stony Brook; Seawolves Take Game Two

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Forced to play away from West Hartford again due to poor field conditions, the University of Hartford softball team started off America East Conference by exchanging a pair of shutouts with the Stony Brook Seawolves on Long Island on Saturday afternoon. In a game that saw Zuzana Kudernatschova paced the Hawks (6-14) to the 1-0 triumph in the opening game before the Seawolves (12-14) scored a 2-0 win in the nightcap.

The first game of conference play proved to be a pitcher's duel between junior transfer Zuzana Kudernatschova and Allison Cukrov, the reigning America East Pitcher of the Week, that a scoreless game through 10 and a half innings. Kukrov fanned seven batters, scattering eight hits during that span.

Rookie Sawyer Fried combined to go 5-for-7 at the plate in both games to pace the Hawks' offense, while Chelsey Mooney knocked the walk-offf single in the bottom of the 11th to plate the game-winning run.

Finishing with five strikeouts, Kudernatschova went the length of a normal seven-inning game and then some without conceding a single hit to the Seawolves. Stony Brook's first hit of the affair came with one out in the top of the 10th, a double to left field off the bat of Pisciotta. She ended the afternoon allowing two hits to Stony Brook, marking her second shutout in a Hawk uniform.

The Seawolves' designated player would reach third on a fielding error by Hawks' second baseman Amber Andrews. Kudernatschova and the Hartford defense clamped down, though, and retired the next two Stony Brook batters on an infield pop-out and a strikeout to prevent the first run of the game from coming across.

Hartford rallied in the bottom of the 11th as Jackie Kelly and Jordan Haines worked back-to-back walks with one down in the frame. Freshman Sawyer Fried kept the offense going and loaded up the bases with her third hit of the game after notching a single to right center field. Senior Melani Maxwell, the Hawks' next batter on the line-up card, was unable to convert, though, as Cukrov put her down swinging.

Down to her final out with the base paths filled, Consolmagno turned to her dugout to come up with the clutch hit, and her decision paid off. Mooney pinch hit for sophomore Margaret Betz, and she knocked a single to right field, scoring Jackie Kelly from third to end the scoreless battle and clinch the game.

The nightcap also proved to be a defensive battle as both squads swapped zeroes on the scoreboard through the first four innings.

Junior Kaitlyn Meade tossed a no-hitter in her first three innings inside the circle, allowing just one runner on the base paths during that span. The Seawolves ended their hitless streak in the top of the fourth, using a base hit through the middle of the infield from Hagerty to disrupt the clean sheet.

That runner would not pose any scoring threats, however Stony Brook brought its bats into the top half of the fifth inning and took the 2-0 lead on a long bomb off the bat of Gina Bianculli. With one out recorded in the stanza, Pisciotta reached base on an infield single, and after Meade induced Melissa Phelan into an infield pop-out, Bianculli saw one pitch she liked and smacked it out of the park for the lone offense of the contest.

Meade threw seven complete innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking two. For the Seawolves, Christine Lucido earned the shutout win, scattering six hits while fanning three batters.

Hartford had an opportunity to answer back with some notches up on the scoreboard in the bottom part of the fifth frame, but came up empty, stranding runners on all three bases. Maxwell started things off with a single, and used a sacrifice bunt from Betz to advance to second. From there, Lucido got herself in a jam, hitting Phelps with a stray pitch before issuing a walk to Andrews.

With the bases juiced, Mooney came up to the plate as a pinch-hitter for Jenice Aloyo, but unlike the first game, she was unable to come through with the heroics as she struck out. The Stony Brook defense managed to get the final out of the inning in the next at-bat, getting Wacyk out at first on a fielder's choice.

In their final at-bats, the Hawks had the game-tying runs on the base paths as Phelps and Andrews delivered back-to-back singles with one out. With the potential game-winning run at the plate and two outs left, Hartford was unable to capitalize as the final two batters hit into infield ground-outs to end the game.

The two teams will play a rubber match on Sunday at 12 noon.

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