THE BASICS:

GAME 1 RESULT: Quinnipiac 5, Hartford 0
GAME 2 RESULT: Quinnipiac 2, Hartford 1
LOCATION: Hamden, Conn.
RECORDS: Quinnipiac (11-14), Hartford (3-22)

THE LEAD:
The Hartford softball team got the tying run into scoring position in the top of the seventh but came up short, falling in a pair of tightly contested games of a doubleheader to Quinnipiac on Thursday.

GAME 1: QUINNIPIAC 5, HARTFORD 0
Casey Herzog delivered a strong performance in the circle to lead Quinnipiac to a 5-0 victory in game one of the doubleheader. Herzog went the full seven innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out three. Marisa Ferguson had the lone hit for the Hawks in the loss.
 
Rebecca Drake went 2-for-4 in the win for the Bobcats, while six other players hit safely. Melissa Pereira was credited with the loss after pitching a solid six innings in the circle for the Hawks.

HOW THEY SCORED, GAME 1:
• Quinnipiac struck with a run in the bottom of the first, plating the opening score with a one-out sac fly.
• The score remained that way until the fourth, when the Bobcats plated two runs on three hits and an error to make the lead 3-0.
• QU added a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth, one coming in on an RBI double from Erin Larsen and the other on a run-scoring groundout.
 
GAME 2: QUINNIPIAC 2, HARTFORD 1
Bianca Ross hit an RBI double in the top of the seventh and pitched six strong innings, but a late rally fell short as Quinnipiac edged the Hawks, 2-1 in game two.
 
Abbey Long allowed three hits and one walk in seven innings of work to earn the win for the Bobcats in the circle. Larsen and Keala Cordeiro each had two hits in the victory for QU and Rachel Marchuk notched the team's only RBI in the win.
 
HOW THEY SCORED, GAME 2:
• Quinnipiac plated the first run of the game in the third on a double steal that saw Sarah Heimbach swipe home before the Hawks retired the runner at second.
• Marchuk pushed the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single plating Rebecca Drake in the bottom of the fourth.
• The score remained that way until the top of the seventh, when Elizabeth Newkirk and Ross hit consecutive doubles with two out to cut the lead to 2-1, but Isabella Gerone grounded out to end the contest.
 
UP NEXT:
The Hawks open conference play over the weekend with a three-game series against UMass Lowell. The home opener will be a doubleheader on Saturday slated for a 1 p.m. start followed by a single game at noon on Sunday.