Softball Drops Final Three Games of USF Under Armour Tournament

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 CLEARWATER, Fla. – The University of Hartford softball team combined for three games on Saturday and Sunday at the USF-Under Armour Invitational. Falling 8-2 to Florida A&M before dropping a tight, 2-1 decision to Syracuse on Saturday, the Hawks saw a lead slip away late on Sunday and suffered a 4-3 loss in extra innings to Canisius. Hartford drops to 1-15 on the season.

Overall, rookie Jamie Soles paced the Hawks during the four-game stretch, batting .286 with four hits, two RBI and one run scored. Senior Peyton Fisher also collected four hits in 16 at-bats, slamming two triples while scoring once.

The Hawks remain in the Sunshine State for two more games as they are slated to play South Florida on Tuesday, March 17 before taking on Canisius in a rematch of Sunday's game later on in the day.

Hawks fall to Florida A&M on Saturday

The Hawks suffered an 8-2 loss to Florida A&M to start off day two of the SFU Under Armour Tournament. Designated player Brittany Wallace paced the Hartford bats by going 2-of-4 at the plate while driving in her team's second run of the contest in the final inning.

Florida A&M struck the scoreboard in the top of the second inning on an unearned run as Rave Moseley, who reached base on four balls, stole second base and used an infield throwing error to cross home plate. Hartford kept the Rattlers' bats at bay for the next two innings, until the away squad put up four runs in the top of the fifth before breaking the game open with three more runs in the following frame.

Hartford managed to grab one of those runs back in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single from Soles before pulling within five runs of Florida A&M on Wallace's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh. Danielle DeMarco scored on the play as she sparked the offense with a base hit with two outs recorded, and kept things going by taking second on a fielder's choice and advancing to third using a fielding error by Florida A&M. That run wasn't enough to spark a late comeback bid, though, as Rattlers' pitcher Keny Pereira forced an infield pop-up to end the game.

Inside the circle, Lexi Wilkerson suffered the loss for the Hawks. The sophomore went the distance, scattering 11 hits while allowing three earned and five unearned runs. For the Rattlers, Pereira (4-11) tossed a complete game, conceding two runs – one earned – on seven hits while recording five strikeouts.

Syracuse tops Hartford, 2-1, in pitcher's duel Saturday

In the second game of the day, Hartford got a run on the scoreboard in the top of the second, but Syracuse responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame and held on in the pitcher's duel for the 2-1 win. Freshman pitcher Bianca Ross struck out a game-best four batters for the Hawks, giving up two runs to the Orange on seven hits.

Making her first start of the season, Lindsay Taylor threw two innings for Syracuse, allowing three hits while giving up an earned run. In relief, Lindsey Larkin held Hartford to one hit and a walk as the Orange improved to 11-14 on the season with the win.

With one out recorded in the top of the second, senior Maggie Betz ripped a base hit through the right side of the infield to get the offense going for the Hawks. Two Syracuse fielding errors in back-to-back at-bats loaded up the bases before a single off the bat of Jamie Soles plated an unearned run to make it a 1-0 Hartford lead.

In the bottom of the frame, Danielle Chitkowski tied up the game with an RBI single to left field that scored Julie Wambold, who led off the Orange bats with a walk and took second on a base hit from Sydney O'Hara. Later in the inning, Alyssa Dewes brought home the go-ahead run with two outs as she plated O'Hara on a single to right field.

Holding Syracuse to just three hits over the next two innings, Ross retired the final seven Orange batters she faced in order.

Hawks fall to Canisius in eight innings Sunday

Hartford opened up the final day of the USF-Under Armour Tournament with a bang on Sunday as it quickly took a 3-0 lead over Canisius (5-8) and held on to that edge until the seventh. Senior Peyton Fisher tripled to begin the game, and put the Hawks on the board after stealing home on a throwing error by the Golden Griffs' catcher following a fielder's choice and a steal from senior Jenice Aloyo.

With no outs recorded in that opening frame, Jamie Soles doubled Hartford's lead to 2-0 in the next at-bat. Ripping a single through the left side, Aloyo easily came home for the second run of the game. The offense continued to roll in for the Hawks as a Sawyer Fried RBI double with one out plated Soles to make it a 3-0 Hartford lead before the end of the first inning.

That would be the only scoring for quite some time though, as the Hawks and Griffs exchanged zeroes on the scoreboard for the next five innings. Hartford pitcher Bianca Ross gave up eight hits during that stretch, but was backed by a solid defense as Canisius was held scoreless for its first six innings.

The Griffs responded in their final at-bats, though, and tied up the contest with three late runs to force extra innings. Leading off the inning with two-straight singles, Meghan Cuda, the right fielder, cleared the bases with a no-out triple to pull Canisius within one at 3-2. Cuda would then record the game-tying run as a sacrifice fly from Jessica Berzins allowed her to cruise home and make it a 3-3 contest.

Canisius had a chance to produce the game-winning run, but Michelle DelPrince, who tripled with one out, was left stranded as Ross clamped down and forced a pair of fly-outs to get out of the jam.

In the eighth, Canisius pitcher Weathers, induced a double play before recording her seventh strikeout of the game to quickly put down the Hawks. The Griffs went on to win the game using a pair of sacrifices. A bunt single off the barrel of Samantha Sharkey allowed Lindsay Sifler, who was placed on second base to start the frame, to reach third before Roman recorded the game-winning RBI on a sacrifice fly

In 7.1 innings, Ross allowed four runs – three earned – on 12 hits. Weathers tossed 8.0 innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Jenice Aloyo: OF; 5' 4"; Senior; L/R

#15 Peyton Fisher: C; 5' 5"; Senior; R/R

#18 Sawyer Fried: C/UT; 5' 9"; Junior; R/R

#7 Lexi Wilkerson: P/INF; 5' 5"; Sophomore; R/R

#12 Jamie Soles: 2B/SS; 5' 3"; Freshman; R/R

#22 Brittany Wallace: C; 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R

#11 Danielle DeMarco: 3B; 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R

#24 Bianca Ross: P; 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R

Players Mentioned

#2 Jenice Aloyo
: 5' 4"; Senior; L/R
: OF

#15 Peyton Fisher
: 5' 5"; Senior; R/R
: C

#18 Sawyer Fried
: 5' 9"; Junior; R/R
: C/UT

#7 Lexi Wilkerson
: 5' 5"; Sophomore; R/R
: P/INF

#12 Jamie Soles
: 5' 3"; Freshman; R/R
: 2B/SS

#22 Brittany Wallace
: 5' 11"; Freshman; R/R
: C

#11 Danielle DeMarco
: 5' 6"; Sophomore; R/R
: 3B

#24 Bianca Ross
: 5' 10"; Freshman; R/R
: P