GAME NOTES:

FRIDAY AND SATURDAY'S GAMES: The University of Hartford softball team (3-40, 0-11 AE) concludes its 2915 campaign with a three-game, America East Conference set at Albany (27-16, 8-6 AE). The series begins on Friday at 2 p.m. With a doubleheader before concluding with a single contest on Saturday at 12:30 p.m.

THE SERIES HISTORY: The Hawks will look to end a winless drought against the Great Danes that has spanned over the last four years and 12 contests. Albany has swept the last four regular season series from Hartford, including 7-0, 11-1, and 4-1 decisions last year in West Hartford. Overall, the Hawks are 11-28 against Albany, with its most recent win coming five years ago by way of a 6-3 final in West Hartford in April 2010.

SCOUTING ALBANY: Albany is coming off a two-game sweep on cross-town rival Siena on Wednesday. Mercy-ruling the Saints, 8-0, before scoring a come-from-behind 6-4 win in the nightcap, the Great Danes improve to 27-16 on the season. In the opener, freshman Erynn Sobieski threw a two-hit shutout with a pair of strikeouts while Alexa Toole belted out a two-run homer in her bottom of the sixth to erase a one-run deficit and put Albany in front for good. In America East play, the Great Danes sit in a tie with UMBC for fourth place with an 8-6 mark, trailing third place Binghamton, which is 8-5 on the year. They have gone 2-1 in series with Maine, UMBC, Binghamton, and UMass Lowell, but recently suffered a doubleheader sweep to Stony Brook. As a team, Albany is batting .302, led by Maggie Cocks. She currently sports a .421 batting average and is the team's leader in hits (59), doubles (14), and RBI. Elizabeth Snow (.407) adds 36 RBI on a team-best nine homers while Vicky McFarland is hitting at a clip of .393 and leads the team with 40 runs. Insides of the circle, Sobieski's 2.85 tops a staff of five hurlers. She is 9-5 on the year in 20 appearances and 16 starts. Devin Durando is 13-5 on the year in 16 starts. With 10 complete games, she leads the team in strikeouts with 106 and enters the series with a 3.71 ERA. 

THE SERIES HISTORY: The Hawks will look to end a winless drought against the Great Danes that has spanned over the last four years and 12 contests. Albany has swept the last four regular season series from Hartford, including 7-0, 11-1, and 4-1 decisions last year in West Hartford. Overall, the Hawks are 11-28 against Albany, with its most recent win coming five years ago by way of a 6-3 final in West Hartford in April 2010.

LAST TIME THEY MET: Hartford dropped all three games to Albany last April in West Hartford.  The Great Danes opened the series with 7-0 and 11-1 wins before completing the sweep with a 4-1 victory. Marisa Ferguson tripled and notched an RBI in the series finale to pace the Hawks. 

LAST TIME OUT: In an America East series at Maine last weekend, the Hawks dropped three games. Maine took game one, 8-0, in a six-inning affair before scoring a walk-off, 5-4 victory in Saturday's nightcap. In the final contest, the Black Bears came out on top in five innings as they defeated the Hawks, 10-0. Freshman Jamie Soles drove in three runs in game two of the series with a home run while senior Jenice Aloyo combined to go 3-for-9 at the plate, adding an RBI and a run.

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. In addition, with six on her career, she is tied for sixth in Hartford's Division I record books.

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 172 career games, she is currently ranked third in most games played while her 26 doubles are the eighth-most in program history. 

ARLEY DAY: On April 18, the Hartford softball team went gold during its doubleheader against UMass Lowell to help in the fight against childhood cancer. As part of the Go4theGoal's Lace Up 4 Pediatric Cancer initiative, the Hawks wore special headbands, socks, and shoelaces that were gold, the color for pediatric cancer awareness. Saturday was labeled "Arley Day." All season long, Arley, a three-year old who is fighting Rhabdomyosarcoma, has been an honorary member of the Hawks' softball team. The money generated through the gear sales, plus any additional donations received, went to a local pediatric oncology unit.

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 112 at-bats, the rookie sports a .256 batting average, the second-highest clip on the team, knocking out a team-best 31 hits and eight doubles. In addition, she has scored 13 times in her debut campaign and adds a team-high 16 RBI.

LONGEST HIT STREAK: In addition to posting team-best numbers in hits (31), doubles (8), and RBI (16), 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.