RIVERDALE, N.Y. –Hartford softball continued its 2020 season by sweeping Manhattan in a doubleheader this afternoon. The Hawks would use seventh-inning heroics in both games as they defeated the Jaspers, 2-1 in game one, and 10-5 in game two.
Mara Sczecienski would launch a two-run home run in the seventh inning of game one while the Hawks scored six runs in the seventh to complete the comeback in game two. With the sweep, Hartford improves to 6-4 on the year while Manhattan drops to 3-5.
GAME ONE: HARTFORD 2, MANHATTAN 1
Game one of the doubleheader would remain scoreless late into the game. The Hawks threatened early in the second inning as they loaded the bases, but they could not muster any runs keeping the game deadlocked at 0-0. The Jaspers would strike first in the bottom half of the sixth, taking a 1-0 lead into the final inning.
Paige Fedak would open up the final inning with a leadoff double before advancing to third in the next at-bat.
Mara Sczecienski would then step up to the plate and launch her first career home run, giving the Hawks a 2-1 lead late into the game.
Lauren Card would take over in relief of
Julianna Kocenski in the bottom half of the seventh and hold onto the lead, giving Hartford the 2-1 victory in game one. Kocenski earned her third win of the season while Card picked up her second save on the year.
GAME TWO: HARTFORD 10, MANHATTAN 5
The Jaspers would jump out to an early 1-0 lead after the first inning in game two of the doubleheader. It wouldn't take long for the Hawks to respond with offense of their own as they put up four runs in the top half of the third. After
Ally Beck,
Lily Sencer and Sczecienski got on base to lead off the inning,
Danielle Rocheleau stepped up and ripped a single up the middle, scoring Beck and Sencer to jump out to a 2-1 lead.
Kelsey Galevich stepped up in the next at-bat and singled to left, plating Sczecienski and Rocheleau as the Hawks extended their lead to 4-1. The Jaspers would respond with four runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to take a 5-4 lead. The Hawks would then explode in the top half of the seventh inning, plating six runs to take a 10-4 lead.
Paige Fedak would get the run parade started with a two-RBI single before
Amber Mianti and
Samantha Nagel added RBI's of their own.
Ally Beck would then triple to right field, plating home one run before Sencer brought home Nagel with an RBI single to left to end Hartford's incredible six-run inning. The monstrous inning would be enough as the Hawks held on and completed the sweep.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Galevich, Fedak, Rocheleau, and Sczecienski each recorded two RBI on the day
- Eight of Hartford's nine batters recorded a hit in game two of the doubleheader
- Beck, Rocheleau, and Sczecienski all scored twice in game two
- Kocenski (3-1) started inside the circle in game one, allowing eight hits and one earned run while striking out two in six innings of work to earn her third victory of the season
- Lauren Card (1-2) picked up the save in game one, pitching the final inning to collect her second save on the year
- Card started inside the circle in game two, allowing five runs off of seven hits in three and one-third innings of work
- Alyssa Viscardo (1-0) earned the win after pitching four solid innings of relief, striking out two batters and allowing no runs and three hits
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks return to action at the St. John's Invitational from Saturday, March 14, through Sunday, March 15. The two-day event takes place at St. John's in Queens, with the Hawks taking on in-state rival UConn and Holy Cross on day one.
For more information on the Hartford softball team, stay with HartfordHawks.com for updates and follow the team on social media (
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Facebook).
