ALBANY, N.Y. – It was a tale of two games in the Empire State on Friday afternoon between the University of Hartford and the University at Albany softball teams, as the opening game proved to be a pitcher's duel while the second contest featured an offensive battle that saw both squads combine for 13 runs and 18 hits. The Great Danes prevailed in both games, taking game one by a 1-0 final before scoring the 9-4 win in the nightcap.

Hartford (8-19, 2-3 AE) and UAlbany (14-7, 2-0 AE) will conclude the three-game series Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

In the opening game, Kudernatschova tossed a solid game for the Hawks, but Brittany MacFawn was just as impressive, throwing a seven-inning no-hitter to lead the Great Danes to the 1-0 victory.

Kudernatschova struck out seven batters, walked three and allowed one earned run to dip to 5-7 on the year. For UAlbany, MacFawn fanned 10 batters and allowed just two runners on the base paths. Sawyer Fried reached base in the top of the sixth on a third strike that went past the Great Danes' catcher while Jordan Haines was hit by a pitch with two outs recorded in the top half of the sixth frame.

Despite a scoring threat from UAlbany in the bottom of the second, Hartford kept the Great Danes off of the scoreboard until the bottom of the sixth frame.

Early in the game, Marlin Solana doubled with one out and Kelly Costello and Lindsey Stout would load up the bases after walking and getting hit by a pitch, respectively. The Hawks' defense behind Kudernatschova kept the home team scoreless, though, as UAlbany hit into a double play. First baseman Melani Maxwell fielded the ground ball and got Lauren Alcorn, the batter, out at first before tagging out Solano, the lead runner, at the plate to end the inning.

The Great Danes made it a 1-0 game in the bottom of the sixth, scoring the only run of the game with two outs. After Castro and Solano earned back-to-back walks, Costello provided the RBI that drove in the eventual game-winning run by knocking a single into left field to bring Castro home from second.

In the nightcap, Hartford outhit its opponents, 10-8, led by a 3-for-3 effort at the plate from Erica Phelps. Two of the senior outfielder's hits went for two-bags on the outing. Sophomores Jackie Kelly and Jenice Aloyo each went 2-for-4 in the batter's box, with one of Kelly recording a double.

The Great Danes jumped out to take a quick, 4-0 advantage in their first at-bats and after the Hawks halved their deficit in the top half of the third, the home team pushed its lead to five runs after plating a three more in the bottom part of that inning.

With runners on second and third, Kylie Apostolina provided a bases-clearing single that made it a 2-0 ball game before Costello would again clear the bases, slamming a home run over the left field wall to make it 4-0.

Hartford's first run of the game came by way of a wild pitch in the top of the third, as Amber Andrews, who previously reached on a fielder's choice, used a bunt single from Aloyo and sacrifice from Wacyk to take second and third. She then scored on a wild pitch during Jordan Haines' at-bat.  After Haines walked, Kelly would make it a 4-2 game after notching an RBI double, plating Aloyo from second.

In the bottom half of the third, Johnson led off the frame with a walk, and three runs would be scored on a trio of doubles from Maggie Cocks, Apostolina and Costello to make extend UAlbany's lead to 7-2.

That 7-2 deficit would be chipped to 7-4 by the Hawks in the top of the next inning. With one out, Margaret Betz doubled to get the offense going, and Phelps followed suit with a double in the next at-bat. After Amber Andrews struck out, an error committed by the Great Danes' shortstop would prove to be a costly one as both Betz and Phelps would come around to score and close the gap to three.

That UAlbany lead would grow back to four in the following inning, though, as Vicky McFarland's RBI single drove in Toole, who led off the frame with a walk and stole both second and third, to make it an 8-4 game in the bottom of the fourth. The Great Danes would add one more insurance run in the bottom half of the sixth stanza, as Toole scored again using a walk, a double from McFarland and a steal to come across home plate.

In their final at-bats, the Hawks had a shot at closing in on their deficit as they manufactured three hits. They would fall short, though, as two runners would be left on base. With one out, Kate Wacyk singled to left field and Haines followed-up with an infield base hit to put runners on first and second. Jackie Kelly then stepped up to the plate and whacked a double to center field, but UAlbany would retire one runner at second to leave one Hawk on first and the other on third. Down to their final out, the Hawks would hit into a foul out to end the game.

Kaitlyn Meade went the distance for Hartford, allowing nine earned runs while striking out four. For the Great Danes, Emily Ostrom earned the triumph, allowing four runs, two earned, and recording three strikeouts.