WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Playing at home for the first time in the 2015 season, the University of Hartford softball team dropped a pair of games to the Binghamton Bearcats in America East action on Tuesday. The Hawks fell in six innings by a 10-2 count in the opening game before suffering an 8-0 loss in game two.

The meeting served as a makeup date for the league foes as the two teams' original meeting, which was scheduled for March 28-29, was postponed due to poor field conditions and inclement weather. Hartford falls to 2-25 overall and 0-5 in the conference while Binghamton, which has now won its last three, improves to 12-11 on the season with a 3-2 mark in the America East.

Senior Peyton Fisher led the Hawks on the afternoon, going 3-for-5 at the plate. Classmates Margaret Betz and Jackie Kelly each recorded an RBI to put Hartford on the scoreboard in the opening game. Leading the Bearcats was Tia Smith, who recorded five RBI and scored three times on a 4-for-5 effort that included a double and one homer.

Hartford continues its eight-game homestand with two mid-week games against Yale on Wednesday. First pitch between the Hawks and Bulldogs is scheduled to be tossed at 2:30 p.m.

GAME ONE:
In the Hawks' first game in West Hartford of the 2015 campaign, it was Binghamton that struck the scoreboard early as it pushed three runs across in the opening at-bats to take the lead.

Binghamton capitalized on three free passes to start the game – a pair of walks and a struck batter – from Hartford's rookie hurler Kelsey Bird and jumped out to a 3-0 lead in its first at-bats. Smith, Crysti Eichner and Caytlin Friis each earned an RBI in the frame on a walk, fielder's choice, and walk, respectively.

Despite the three early runs, Bird settled in, retiring nine of the next 11 batters she faced, but it was two big innings that would settle the game for the Bearcats. Binghamton knocked in four runs on five hits in the top of the fifth before using a three-run, sixth-inning to extend its lead to 10-0.

The Hawks managed to get a rally going in the bottom of the sixth and cut into their deficit with two runs, but they were unable to pull within seven, allowing the mercy rule to take effect. Junior Sawyer Fried started the inning with a single to left field before sophomore Danielle DeMarco reached on an error by Binghamton pitcher Shelby Donhauser. The duo then advanced into scoring position on an error in the infield on the same play, allowing a Jackie Kelly groundout followed by a two-out Betz single to scratch their teammates across home.  

Donhauswer struck out two and scattered just four hits to earn the complete game victory. Bird recorded one strikeout and falls to 2-5 after conceding 10 runs on eight hits.

GAME TWO:
A combined effort from Binghamton pitchers Sarah Miller and Cara Martin kept Hartford off the scoreboard in the second game of the day. The duo scattered four hits during the contest as Miller allowed six Hawks to reach under her watch on three hits and three walks while Martin conceded just one hit over the final four innings. Fanning a game-high five batters, Martin earned the win to improve to 5-4 on the season.

The Bearcats were quick to get on the board as a Chaffee RBI single made it a 1-0 game in the top of the first before one swing of the bat by Smith with two outs in the third extended that advantage to 2-0.

Twice in the first three innings, Hartford had runners on third base, but was unable to muster up a run. Facing the 1-0 deficit in the home half of the second, Brittany Wallace's patience at the plate paid off as she earned a two-out walk to get on base. Advancing two more bags on a passed ball followed by a Fisher single, the designated player would be stranded at third as Miller induced a groundout to get out of the jam without any damage.

Hartford had one more chance to cut into what was then two-run deficit in the home half of the third. Getting on base with her fifth double of the season, sophomore DeMarco was pushed to third on an infield groundout, but Miller recorded her third strikeout of the afternoon to end the inning and keep the Hawks off the scoreboard.

From there, the Bearcats offense got going. A three-run, fourth inning would provide a five-run cushion before two more runs in the top half of the fifth put the contest out of reach at 7-0. One more run would be added in the top of the seventh to provide the final score of 8-0.

Freshman Bianca Ross suffered the loss, dropping to 0-11 after allowing five earned runs on seven hits in 3.2 innings. She recorded three strikeouts.