WEST HARTFORD, Conn. –Hartford softball opened its 2021 season by sweeping Seton Hall in a doubleheader this afternoon. The Hawks would use seventh-inning heroics in game one, winning 7-6, before cruising to a dominating 8-0 victory in six innings in the second game. The Hawks used four runs in the bottom half of the seventh to earn the victory in game one, while Caylee English pitched a complete game shutout to earn the sweep for the Hawks in game two. With the wins, Hartford improves to 2-0 on the year while Seton Hall drops to 5-12.

GAME ONE: HARTFORD 7, SETON HALL 6
Game one of the doubleheader would see Seton Hall strike first, as a Jaden Tate double brought home a Pirate runner to take the early 1-0 lead. The game would become a pitching duel as Hawks starter Julianna Kocenski struck out one batter and limited the Pirates any chance to tack onto their lead. Hartford would strike back in the bottom half of the fifth, as Kocenski showed her prowess at the plate, ripping a double to center field. At the next at-bat, Haley Cassidy would launch a homerun over the center field fence to give Hartford the 2-0 lead. The Hawks would add one more run to their lead as Emma Armstrong hit a sacrifice fly, plating Danielle Rocheleau and giving Hartford the 3-1 lead. Seton Hall would not go down easily, as they racked up five runs in the top half of the seventh, to take a 6-3 lead. Hartford would respond with a monster inning of their own. After the first three batters reached base to start the inning, Zoe Truxon hit a sacrifice fly to left to cut the Pirates advantage to two. Cori Jones would then get on base before Rocheleau drew a walk, plating Cassidy and cutting the deficit to one. In the next at-bat, Kelsey Galevich would fly out to the third baseman, which plated Lily Sencer, before Emma Armstrong walked off the game with an RBI single, completing the comeback and securing a 7-6 win. Lauren Card earned the win for Hartford in relief.

GAME TWO: HARTFORD 8, SETON HALL 0 (6)  
The Hawks started out the second game hot as the first two batters got on base. Rocheleau would then step up and hit a 2-RBI double to right center, plating Chandler Mitchell and Cori Jones. Galevich would then record an RBI double of her own, sending Rocheleau home to get the Hawks on the board, 3-0. Caylee English was rock solid on the mound, recording three strikeouts over the next two innings, denying the Pirates any chance to cut the Hawks lead. Hartford would come up big again in the bottom of the third, as Rocheleau launched a solo home run off the scoreboard, before Emma Curry and Paige Fedak tallied RBIs of their own, giving the Hawks a 6-0 lead after three. Hartford would tally one more run in the bottom half of the fourth, before Curry secured the walk-off single to right field in the bottom of the sixth, plating Emma Armstrong and winning the game, 8-0. English was stellar on the mound, pitching a complete-game shutout, allowing three hits and striking out six batters.
 
NEWS AND NOTES
·       Rocheleau led the Hawks with RBI on the day
·       Armstrong, Cassidy and Curry each recorded two RBI across both games
·       Seven of Hartford's nine batters recorded a hit in game one of the doubleheader
·       Armstrong drew three walks in game two
·       Kocenski (0-0) started inside the circle in game one, allowing eight hits and four earned runs while striking out three in 6.1 innings of work
·       Lauren Card (1-0) earned the win in game one, pitching 0.2 innings of relief
·       English (1-0) pitched a three-hit complete-game shutout in game two of the doubleheader, striking out six batters

NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks open up conference play on April 4, when they open a three-game weekend series against Stony Brook. First pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
 
 
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