THE BASICS:

GAME 1 RESULT: UMBC 3, Hartford 2
GAME 2 RESULT: Hartford 4, UMBC 0
LOCATION: West Hartford, Conn. (Hartford SB Field)
RECORDS: Hartford (5-30, 1-6 America East); UMBC (18-25, 2-8)

THE LEAD:
Peyton Fisher posted five hits in the doubleheader and the Hartford softball team got outstanding pitching in the circle from Bianca Ross in earning a split with UMBC on Saturday. Ross did not allow an earned run in 14 innings of work on the day.

GAME 1: UMBC 3, HARTFORD 2
Fisher went 3-for-3 and Danielle DeMarco delivered two hits and scored twice, but a seventh-inning rally led UMBC to a 3-2 win in the first game of the doubleheader. The Retrievers scored three unearned runs, including a pair in the top of the seventh, to collect the win.
 
Ross pitched seven strong innings, scattering six hits and two walks, striking out four while being carded with the loss. Hartford mustered 10 hits against Jessica Holte, but she collected the win for the Retrievers. Marisa Ferguson went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the defeat.

HOW THEY SCORED, GAME 1:
• UMBC took a 1-0 lead on a wild pitch in the top of the first.
• Both pitchers settled in at that point, putting zeroes on the board until the bottom of the fourth.
• Hartford knotted the game up at 1 in the fourth when Ferguson singled home DeMarco on a base hit to center.
• The Hawks gained the lead in the sixth on an RBI double from Fisher that plated DeMarco for a 2-1 advantage.
• UMBC rallied in the top of the seventh, plating a pair of unearned runs to take a 3-2 lead, and held on for the victory.

GAME 2: HARTFORD 4, UMBC 0
Ross was tremendous in the circle, scattering six hits and striking out four without issuing a walk to carry the Hawks to the win. The Hawks scored all four of their runs in the bottom of the fourth, totaling seven hits in the win.
 
Fisher delivered two of the Hawks' seven base hits, while Lexi Wilkerson added two more in the victory. Sawyer Fried and Meghan Wynn each had an RBI double and scored a run as well. 
 
HOW THEY SCORED, GAME 2:
• Both pitchers started strong, with the Retrievers stranding Hawks runners to keep it a scoreless game through the first three.
• Hartford erupted for four runs in the bottom of the fourth. The first three runs came on four consecutive doubles – from Fisher, Wilkerson, Fried and Wynn – to make it 3-0.
• The Hawks added a fourth run on an error that brought home Wynn to push the lead to 4-0.
• Ross took over from there, putting zeroes on the board all the way to the final pitch to finish off the victory.

UP NEXT:
Hartford and UMBC will finish off their three-game series on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for noon at the Hartford Softball Field. Admission is free for the event, and it will be carried live on HartfordHawks.com and AmericaEast.TV.