Boiling Springs, N.C. – Peyton Fisher had two hits on the day, scoring a run and driving in another, but the Hartford softball team was bested in a pair of contests at the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament, hosted by Gardner-Webb, on Saturday. Hampton topped the Hawks 6-1, while the host Bulldogs emerged victorious, 7-2, in the afternoon session.
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GAME ONE: HAMPTON 6, HARTFORD 1Hampton struck quickly in the top of the first. Four singles and a walk to the first six batters plated a pair of runs for the Pirates. But starting pitcher
Lexi Wilkerson came back strong, getting a popout and a strikeout to end the frame with no further damage.
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The Hawks got one back in the bottom of the second. Fisher drew a leadoff walk, then moved to second on a sac bunt. A Wilkerson single put runners at the corners, and then an error allowed Fisher to score to make it 2-1.
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Wilkerson settled in for the Hawks in the circle, putting zeroes on the board in the second, third, fourth and fifth while also putting together a career-high eight strikeouts.
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But in the sixth, the Pirates added to their lead with a two-run home run off the bat of Ashley Grassini to make it a 4-1 score. Then in the seventh, it was a bases-loaded walk and a sac fly that closed out the scoring.
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GAME TWO: GARDNER-WEBB 7, HARTFORD 2The Hawks struck quickly in the second contest, with
Jenice Aloyo drilling a triple to left center with one out in the top of the first. Fisher followed, and brought Aloyo home with a single to right that made it a 1-0 count.
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But Gardner-Webb came right back with two in the bottom of the frame, one on a triple from Rachel Cumiskey and a second on a Scarlett Harris RBI single. Then in the second, the Bulldogs put up a five-spot on five hits and an error to take a 7-1 lead.
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Hartford got one back in the top of the fifth on an unearned run that plated
Alex Saharek on a pair of GWU errors. But that was as close as the Hawks would get, as the Bulldogs finished off the ballgame.
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UP NEXTHartford will close out the Runnin' Bulldog Softball Tournament on Sunday at noon with a rematch against Hampton.Â
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