TROY, N.Y. – In mid-week, non-conference action, the University of Hartford softball team dropped a pair of games at Siena College on Thursday afternoon. The Hawks (1-22) first fell, 9-2, in the opening game before coming up short to the Saints in game two in an 8-6 decision. Siena improves to 7-13 on the year with the wins.

Freshman Jamie Soles knocked in three runs in game two to pace the Hawks as they battled back from a 3-0 deficit to force a tie in the top of the second. Siena went on to retake a lead at 6-3 in the home half of the frame, but Hartford would only pull within one at 6-5 before the Saints added two more insurance runs to the count.

Pacing the bats on the afternoon was senior Margaret Betz, who went 4-for-8. Classmate Peyton Fisher tripled in game two and drove in a pair of runs in the opening game while Soles also recorded an extra-base hit with a two-bagger in the nightcap.

The Hawks remain on the road for two more games as they head to Fairfield, Conn., to face the Stags in a doubleheader on Saturday. First pitch is scheduled for 12 noon.

GAME ONE:
Right fielder Fisher got the Hawks on the board with a two-run single in the top of the first inning, but from there, the bats got cold for Hartford as it was held without a score for the remainder of the contest. Fisher's base hit came with the bases loaded and just one out recorded in the frame after Soles and Fried reached on errors before Kelly earned another free pass on four balls.

That would be the only runs produced by the visiting squad, though, as a total of 11 runners were left on base throughout the seven inning affair. Butts and the Saints' defense managed to get out of the first-inning jam without seeing any more damage to the scoreboard, and only allowed two more Hawks past second base in the final six frames.

Reaching on a fielder's choice in the first inning, Taylor put Siena's first run up on the board and halved Hartford's 2-0 advantage after she scored on a single from Hess. Two innings later, Lloyd led off the home half of the third with a home run before Sammy Smaldone made it a two-run frame and pushed across the go-ahead run with an RBI single.

The Saints went on to add four more runs in the fourth inning, using four hits and an error to extend their lead to 7-2, before taking a seven-run lead in the fifth frame.

The Saints' first three runs came with Elizabeth Batsinelas inside of the circle. Two of those runs were earned, as she drops to 0-2 with the loss. Kelsey Bird worked the final three innings, allowing six runs – three earned – on eight hits.

Lloyd went 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs scored, and two RBI for Siena. Scattering four hits and handing out five walks, Butts got the win in the circle, allowing two runs in 5.2 innings. 

GAME TWO:
Despite facing an early, 3-0 deficit in game two, the Hawks battled and loaded up the bases in the top of the seventh trailing 8-6, but saw a late rally come up short against the Saints.

After Siena plated three runs in its first at-bats after facing two different hurlers, Hartford came back to match those three runs in its next at-bats to force a 3-3 tie. Betz, who led the frame off with a single, took second on a botched play on an infield ground ball by  Brittany Wallace before the duo into second and third on a sacrifice bunt off the barrel of Meghan Wynn.

With runners in scoring position and one out, Jenice Aloyo worked a walk off of Siena starting pitcher Gatt to juice up the bases, setting the scene for a Soles double that would clear the bases and make it a new ball game at 3-3.

Siena would counter, though, in Its next at-bats as a bases-loaded, one-out single off from Carpenter would put the home team up by a run at 4-3. A two-run third inning would put the Saints ahead, 6-3 as a Lloyd double followed by a Viggiano single would allow two runs to cross the plate and provide the three-run cushion.

In the top of the fourth, Hartford cut into Siena's lead again and pulled within a run. Danielle DeMarco, a sophomore, got the bats going with a one-out single to centerfield. Following an error that allowed Aloyo to reach and put runners on first and second, the two each advanced 60-feet on an infield ground out. With two outs, sophomore Marisa Ferguson made it a 6-5 game after she slammed a base hit into center, allowing DeMarco and Aloyo to score on the play.

Hartford would get no closer, though, as Siena added two more tallies to the scoreboard in the home half of the fourth to again regain a three-run advantage. In their final at-bats, the Hawks cut into that deficit and closed the gap to two on an RBI single by pinch hitter Alex Saharek with one out that scored Soles, who led off with a walk and took second on a passed ball. After Kelly popped out for the second out, Hartford had the bases loaded as Fisher, who pinch ran for Saharek, moved to third on back-to-back singles from Betz and Wallace. Gatt would strike out the final Hawk she faced, preventing the game-winning runs from reaching the scoreboard.