GAME NOTES:

THIS WEEK'S GAMES: The University of Hartford softball team has four mid-week, non-conference games on the docket before it returns to America East Conference action on Saturday. The Hawks (2-34) will first conclude their 2015 home slate on Wednesday night with a pair of contests against the Marist Red Foxes (18-22) before heading to instate foe Quinnipiac to battle the Bobcats in a twinbill on Thursday. Both doubleheaders are set to begin at 2 p.m.

SERIES HISTORY WITH MARIST: Hartford dipped to 9-16 all-time against Marist after suffering a doubleheader sweep back in 2013 in Poughkeepsie. The Hawks' struggles with Marist go back even further as they have lost their last eight games against the Red Foxes as well as 14 of the last 16 contests dating back to the 2000 campaign. The all-time series between the two squads began in 1992, when Hartford took a doubleheader by respective 10-2 and 7-0 scores.

SCOUTING MARIST: Marist enters Wednesday's doubleheader with an 18-22 overall record. Coming off a series split against Quinnipiac on Sunday, the Red Foxes ended a four-game skid with a thrilling, 3-2, 12-inning victory in the nightcap with the Bobcats. Quinnipiac tied up the contest in the bottom of the seventh and following four scoreless frames, junior first baseman Maureen Duddy, who led off the top of the 12th with an infield single, stole second and advanced to third on a fly out before scoring on a sacrifice fly by sophomore designated player Rebecca Freeman. Melanie White, who leads Marist in innings pitched (126.0), wins (10) and strikeouts (112), struck out six and tossed six scoreless innings to help Marist to the series split. On the season, Freeman paces the Red Foxes at the plate with a .360 batting average. Her 49 hits and 22 RBI are also tops on the team. Maureen Duddy, a junior who is batting .329 thi season, is 46-for-140 at the plate with team-best numbers in runs (22) and stolen bases (19).

HARTFORD AND MARIST'S LAST MEETING: Hartford lost twice at Marist in the two teams' last meeting, which came back in April 2013 in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In the opening game, the Hawks fell, 12-1, before dropping a 5-2 decision in game two.  

SERIES HISTORY WITH QUINNIPIAC: In an all-time series that has seesawed back and forth, Quinnipiac took an 8-7 edge over Hartford after sweeping a doubleheader from the Hawks back in 2012. When playing in Hamden, the Hawks own a slight, 4-3 edge of the Bobcats, including a 1-0 victory in 2011.

SCOUTING QUINNIPIAC: Entering the week with a 10-29 overall record, the Bobcats, who are amidst a nine-game home stretch, have a single game against Sacred Heart on Tuesday before they face Hartford on Thursday. Quinnipiac has won just one of its last four as it ended a brief three-game skid with a 4-2 victory over Marist on Sunday in MAAC action before dropping the series final, 3-2, in 12 innings. Senior infielder Nikki Barba leads Quinnipiac's offense with a .375 batting average. In 120 at-bats, she has belted out 45 hits including eight doubles, two triples and three homers. Her 26 hits also lead the squad. Hannah Lindsley, a senior utility player, enters the week batting .313 and tops the squad with six home runs and 20 RBI. Lindsley has also been a mainstay for Quinnipiac's defense as she has started 16 games inside the circle. With a 5.48 ERA, she is 5-12 on the season and has fanned a team-best 69 batters.

HARTFORD AND QUINNIPIAC'S LAST MEETING: Quinnipiac swept a doubleheader from Hartford when the two teams last met in 2012. After battling through eight innings, the Bobcats overcame a two-run deficit in the top of the fifth and ended up on top after the extra frame in a 4-3 decision. Quinnipiac went on to grab game two by a final count of 5-1. The squads' last two doubleheaders in 2013 and 2014 were canceled due to inclement weather.

LAST TIME OUT: Hartford suffered a series sweep in America East action to UMass Lowell last weekend. The Hawks were topped by the River Hawks, 8-1 and 8-0 (5), on Saturday before falling in the series finale by an 8-2 count. Senior outfielder Jenice Aloyo batted .429 and slugged .571 over the series, collecting three hits in seven at bats while scoring one run. Sophomore Danielle DeMarco led the Hawks with two RBI, knocking in both runs in Sunday's single game while senior outfielder Peyton Fisher collected one RBI to lead the offense on Saturday.

NEXT ON TAP: Hartford hits the road for America East action as it heads to Maine for a three-game, weekend set. The Hawks and Black Bears will play a doubleheader on Saturday in Orono beginning at 1 p.m. before concluding the conference series with a single game on Sunday at 12 noon.

GONE FISHING: Belting-out a team-best four triples this season, redshirt junior Peyton Fisher has etched her name into Hartford's Division I record books. Her four triples are tied for the fourth-most by a Hawk in a single season while with six on her career, she is tied for sixth on the career list in the category.

HITTING THE BOOKS: During her four seasons donning the Scarlet and White, senior first baseman Jackie Kelly has peppered her name throughout Hartford's Division I record books. With appearances in 165 career games, she is currently tied for fifth place while her 24 doubles are the 10th-most in program history.

FOREVER HAWKS WEEKEND: The Hartford softball team will be celebrating "Forever Hawks Weekend" during its three-game set against Stony Brook. Alumni of the Hartford softball program will be acknowledged throughout the weekend, which will be highlighted by the honoring of former Hawks Danielle Simoneau and Dani Evanchik. Simoneau enjoyed a decorated career in a Hartford uniform as she appears among the top five in eight offensive categories and holds the top spots in career batting average, runs batted in, triples and total bases. Inducted into the Hartford Hall of Fame in 2006, she is currently a high school teacher and softball coach. A member of the Hawks from 1991-1995, Evanchik put together a stellar career both behind and at the plate. She engraved her name throughout Hartford's all-time top-10 in nearly every offensive statistical category, all while embracing the true meaning of the Hawk family. Last year, Evanchik, the mother of two daughters, passed away. In remembrance of Dani, her #20 jersey will be hung in the Softball Team Room after this weekend's series.

ROOKIE POWER: Shortstop Jamie Soles has been a key factor in the Hawks' offense this season. In 100 at-bats, the rookie sports a team-high .270 batting average, knocking out 27 hits, eight of which have been doubles, to pace the squad in both categories. In addition, she has scored 10 times in her debut campaign and adds a team-high 12 RBI.

LONGEST HIT STREAK: In addition to leading Hartford with a .299 batting average and as well as posting team-best numbers in hits (27), doubles (8), and RBI (12), freshman Jamie Soles owns the team's longest hit streak to date. Beginning with a 1-for-2 day at the plate against Winthrop in February, Soles notched hits in her next six games, batting 10-for-19 during that stretch. 

PRESEASON POLL: The Hawks were selected seventh in the America East preseason poll. Junior catcher Sawyer Fried and senior third basemen Jackie Kelly will look to lead Hartford this season and improve upon an 8-30 record posted last year. Fried finished last season batting .287 with a team-high .364 on base percentage with 19 RBI while Kelly sported a .270 batting average, scattering 24 hits including eight doubles over 35 games.

NEWCOMERS: The Hawks add eight new faces to the 2015 roster. Alex Saharek, Jamie Soles, and Elizabeth Newkirk will add depth to the infield while Brittany Wallace and Kelsey Bird look to add to the catching and pitching duties, respectively. Also joining the squad are Bianca Ross, Danielle DeMarco and Christina Gonzalez.

FIRST-YEAR SKIPPERS: Former Hawk assistant coach Sarah Kalka was named the eighth head coach in the 37-year history of Hartford softball in July. Kalka arrived at Hartford in 2010 from County College of Morris, where she was hired as the softball team's assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach. Kalka played softball at Rutgers and was a BIG EAST First Team pick in 2007. Two new faces join Kalka's staff as she brought on Denise Marchese and Kara Willis as assistant coaches.