DOVER, Del. – The Hartford softball team swept its doubleheader against Delaware State this afternoon. The Hawks took game one, 1-0, after a stellar pitching performance by senior
Julianna Kocenski, and game two, 7-1. Kocenski along with juniors
Caylee English and
Lauren Card of the Hawks pitching staff were the standouts on the day, allowing one unearned run over 14 full innings pitched between the three student-athletes. The Hawks move to 3-4 on the young season after the sweep, while Delaware State falls to 0-2.
HARTFORD 1, DELAWARE STATE 0
In game one, both offenses were held scoreless by dueling pitching performances by Kocenski and Delaware States' Emma Glawson, up until the top of the third inning. Sophomore
Chandler Mitchell would line a double into right field and later be brought home by a single into right by senior
Haley Cassidy. This run would stand to be the deciding run of the game as Kocenski went on to throw a gem. She recorded a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and tallying four strikeouts over seven complete innings, leading the Hawks to a 1-0 victory.
HARTFORD 7, DELAWARE STATE 1
The Hawks got off to a fast start in game two as senior
Kelsey Galevich lined a double into left field to bring home freshman
Olivia Wolk, scoring the first run of the game. Wolk would later drive in her first career RBI, singling into center to bring home Mitchell and extend the Hawks lead to 2-0. English did an outstanding job stifling the Hornets offense, not allowing a single run to cross the plate over four full innings pitched. The Hawks offense continued to pour it on, bringing across five runs in the final three innings of the game. Galevich drove home Wolk with another double into right center, followed by sophomore
Jordan Nastos, who launched a sacrifice fly into left field to bring home Galevich. An error by the Delaware State defense allowed senior
Paige Fedak to came home and score, extending the lead to 5-0. In the final frame for the Hawks offense, junior
Mara Sczecienski drove an RBI double into left center to bring home Galevich, followed by sophomore
Samantha Nagel reaching on an error with Sczecienski capitalizing on the mistake to score. The Hornets were able to pull one run back in the bottom of the seventh against Card, who came in for relief of English in the fifth. However, Hartford's lead would be too much for Delaware State to overcome, as the Hawks finished off the sweep, 7-1.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Kocenski (2-2) got the start in game one, pitching a complete game shutout while allowing five hits and striking out four
- Galevich went 3-4 in game two at the plate, lacing two RBI doubles into the outfield, and scoring two runs
- Nastos and Wolk each drove home their first career RBI in game two
- English (1-0) got the start in game two, pitching four innings and allowing three hits
- She recorded two strikeouts on the afternoon
- Card came in for relief in the bottom of the fifth inning for English, closing out the final three innings with three hits allowed and one unearned run
NEXT ON TAP
The Hartford softball team closes out its three-game series against Delaware State tomorrow, Sunday, February 20, with first pitch scheduled for 11 a.m. at the Hornets Nest.