DOVER, Del. – The Hartford softball team finished off a three-game sweep against Delaware State this afternoon. The Hawks took down the Hornets, 12-1, in five innings. Led by another stellar pitching performance from senior
Julianna Kocenski and some milestone achievements at the plate for freshman
Olivia Wolk, launching her first career collegiate homerun and recording a team-high four RBI game. The Hawks move to an even record at, 4-4, on the early season. Delaware States falls to, 0-3, after their opening weekend of the campaign.
HARTFORD 12, DELAWARE STATE 1 (5)
Hartford wasted little time getting on the board as senior
Emma Curry launched a first pitch lead-off solo homerun in the top of the second inning. Leaving one runner on base, Kocenski shut down the Hornets offense, not allowing them to answer Curry's solo shot. After three doubles in a row from seniors
Haley Cassidy and
Kelsey Galevich as well as freshman
Olivia Wolk, the Hawks moved ahead, 3-0. Senior
Milena Wilton and junior
Samantha Nagel kept the run parade going, crossing the plate after a fielding error by the Hornets' shortstop. The front three batters in the Hawks lineup, Cassidy, Wolk and Galevich accounted for two more runs in the fourth inning, growing the lead to, 7-0. With an RBI triple from Hornets' Sandrea Hord, Delaware State would not be shutout, as the lead for Hartford stood at 7-1 going into the fifth. Freshman
Samantha Ganaden laced a triple into left center field and later scored on a passed ball to bring the Hawks lead to, 8-1. Wolk capped off her outstanding day at the plate launching a three-run shot over the left field fence to increase the lead to 11-1. Freshman
Isabella Therrien scored the Hawks final run of the game off of another fielding error made by the Hornets defense. The Hawks lead would be too large for the Hornets to overcome as Hartford finished off the sweep in five innings with a final score of, 12-1.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Kocenski (3-2) got the start for the Hawks in game three of the series
- She pitched five innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits while tallying three strikeouts
- Curry launched her first homerun of the season with a solo blast in the second inning
- Wolk blasted her first collegiate homerun, launching a three-run shot over the left field fence in the top of the fifth
- Cassidy went 2-3 in the batter's box, crossing the plate on three occasions
- Galevich strong day at the plate, going 2-3 with one double and one RBI
- Ganaden recorded her first collegiate extra base hit, lining a tripling into the right center field gap
NEXT ON TAP
The Hartford softball team will go on a two-week hiatus and return to the diamond, Thursday, March 3, to face off in a road doubleheader against the Manhattan Jaspers.