THE BASICS:

GAME 1 RESULT: Buffalo 7, Hartford 0
GAME 2 RESULT: Hartford 6, Norfolk State 5
LOCATION: Norfolk, Va.
RECORDS: Buffalo (2-8), Hartford (2-2), Norfolk State (3-3)

THE LEAD:
Elizabeth Newkirk went 3-for-3, and Lexi Wilkerson's two-run double accounted for the winning runs as the Hartford softball team earned a split in its final two games of the 2017 Spartan Classic, hosted by Norfolk State. The Hawks edged host NSU in the second game after falling to Buffalo in the earlier contest.
 
Amber Mianti and Brittany Wallace both hit their first career home runs in the victory for the Hawks, who overcame a 3-1 deficit then held off the Spartans at the finish. Bianca Ross delivered back-to-back strikeouts with the bases loaded to hold off the home squad for the win.

GAME 1: BUFFALO 7, HARTFORD 0
Leandra Jew led all players with three hits and Ally Power pitched a complete-game one-hitter to lead Buffalo past Hartford.
 
Jessica Goldyn, Essence Savinon and Power each had two hits in the win, with Savinon and Power each driving in a pair of runs. Jew and Goldyn each scored twice as well. Power struck out nine while surrendering just two walks.
 
Wilkerson had the lone hit for the Hawks and also drew a walk. Melissa Pereira was credited with the loss after giving up seven runs, six earned, in six innings.

HOW THEY SCORED, GAME 1:
• Buffalo plated two runs on three hits in the first, with a Goldyn RBI double and a run-scoring single from Savinon.
• The Bulls pushed the lead to 4-0 in the second when Power hit a two-run home run to center field.
• Buffalo added a solo run in the third on a sacrifice fly and a tally in the fourth on an RBI single up the middle by Savinon.
• The Bulls tallied their final run of the contest in the top of the sixth on a Jenelle Martinez RBI groundout.

GAME 2: HARTFORD 6, NORFOLK STATE 5
Trailing 3-2 going to the top of the seventh, Mianti delivered a solo home run as the Hawks scored four times in the frame, then held the tying run on third base in the bottom of the seventh to hold off Norfolk State. Kylie Dazalla and Kristen DeCiantis each had two hits in addition to Newkirk's three in the win.
 
Ross allowed eight hits and five runs, three earned, to collect her first victory of the season, striking out seven Spartans on the way. Megan Przeslawski was credited with the loss for NSU, allowing 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings of work.
 
HOW THEY SCORED, GAME 2:
• Przeslawski got NSU on the board first with a solo home run in the bottom of the second.
• Wallace delivered a response in the top of the third, ripping an 0-1 pitch to left center for her first career home run to make it 1-1.
• NSU got a pair of unearned runs in the bottom of the fourth to make it a 3-1 lead.
• Newkirk got the Hawks within one in the top of the fifth with a two-out RBI double to left center that scored Jillian Fenton to make it 3-2.
• The score remained that way until the top of the seventh, when Mianti ripped a one-out homer to left center to tie the score.
• Dazalla and Newkirk followed with back-to-back single and then an error scored Dazalla to put the Hawks up 4-3.
• Wilkerson followed with a double to left field that plated Newkirk and Marisa Ferguson to make it 6-3.
• Alyssa Cowan got the Spartans within two with a leadoff solo homer in the bottom of the seventh.
• A walk, an error and an RBI single brought home the fifth run of the day for the Spartans to cut it to 6-5.
• After a walk loaded the bases, Ross rebounded with consecutive strikeouts looking to end the game.
 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks head south next weekend, with a trip to the Sunshine State on the horizon. Hartford will play five games in three days as part of the USF-Under Armour Invitational in Clearwater, Fla., beginning on Friday, Sept. 3. Updates will be provided as they become available on Twitter (@HartfordSB).