MELBOURNE, Fla. - The Hartford softball picked up a pair of wins on day three of the Space Coast Spring Games defeating Western Connecticut State and Rutgers University - Newark.

Rapid Recap Western Connecticut State (W/8, 5-4): 

• The Hawks wasted no time in the first inning getting on the board first through an RBI double from the red hot Sophomore Alyssa Edwards (Stoughton, Ma) which put the Hawks up 1-0. It was quiet for the next few innings at the dish, the circle was the opposite. Senior Carly Mayhood (Newton, N.J.) would pitch around traffic on the base paths in both the second and third inning to keep the score at 1-0 Hawks. 
• The Hawks had failed to get a runner on for seven straight batters until the fourth inning where they would rally off a walk and three straight hits capped off by an RBI single from Freshman Alina Weaver (Nazareth, Pa.) to make it 2-0 Hartford. In the bottom half the Wolves would finally get to Mayhood through a two run inside the park home run from Alyvia Hogg to knot the score at 2. 
• After each team would go three up three down in the fifth, the sixth inning would halt play for a rain delay. Post delay, the Hawks came out firing, Edwards grabbed her second hit of the day to open the frame. Two batters later Senior Gia Miccio (Bellmore, N.Y.) would race around the bases for a go-ahead two-run inside the park home run to put the Hawks up 4-2. In the bottom half the Wolves would battle right back, a single and an eight pitch walk would set up the chance for Hogg to bring in her third run of the game for the Wolves. Following the run an error would load the bases, which would end the day for Mayhood. Senior Gracie Hopkins (El Dorado Hills, California) would walk the first batter she faced which would tie the game at 4-4. After a scoreless seventh the game would enter extra innings. 
• Sophomore Katrina Baran (Townsend, Delaware) would smoke the first pitch she saw into the right field gap to restore the Hawks lead. Hartford would then load the bases but would fail to add another run. That would end up not mattering because Hopkins would shut the Wolves down in order to give the Hawks a thrilling 5-4 win in Game 1. 

In the Circle:

• Mayhood got the start in the circle and tossed five and two thirds allowing four runs (three earned)  on eight hits and she punched out four batters. Hopkins gets credit for the win as she faced nine batters and allowed no runs and no hits. 

At the Plate:

• Miccio, Edwards, and Baran did most of the damage for the Hawks in the win, all three had two hits and an RBI. Weaver also went one-for-four with an RBI. 

Post Game Press:
"It's been amazing playing here with my teammates, especially with us being such a close knit team", said sophomore Alyssa Edwards (Stoughton, Mass.). "While the wins weren't easy, we dug deep throughout both games and that makes me feel great!"
 

Rapid Recap Rutgers-Newark (W, 9-7):

• The Hawks were up 2-0 in the blink of an eye in Game 2. Sophomore Eryn Coyle (Monroe, N.Y.) walked and stole a base to lead off the bottom of the first. Katrina Baran drove her in then Alyssa Edwards would stay hot, driving Baran in with an RBI single after Baran's stolen base. The Hawks would stay hungry in the second, still causing chaos on the base paths. This time Sophomore Lucy Lembo (Albany, N.Y) would single and steal second, Coyle would move Lembo over on a base knock and Baran would bring both runners home to double the Hawks lead. Baran would then come home just a few pitches later from an RBI groundout stretching the lead to 5-0. 
• Hartford would keep feasting, adding two more runs on a pair of sac-flies in the third and then another in the fourth on yet another error, after four it was 8-0 Hawks. Sophomore Ella Zobel (Clarence, N.Y.) was dealing until the fifth inning. She opened the inning with back to back walks, followed by an entourage of three straight singles, then after another walk and a wild pitch Zobel would finally get the first out of the inning but find herself allowing four runs, she would then get tagged for one more run on a groundout making the score 8-5. 
• The Hawks would get a run straight back in the seventh the ever scorching hot Alyssa Edwards picked up another RBI doubling home Junior Adelie Beebe (Sacramento, California). Despite Rutgers-Newark adding two more on a two run double in the final frame, it was not enough as Gracie Hopkins shut the door again giving the Hawks a 9-7 win. 

In the Circle:

• Ella Zobel went five strong innings for Hartford, striking out nine batters and allowing five runs. Junior Alex Hassett (Granby, Ct) threw one and one third innings allowing two runs on two hits. Gracie Hopkins only faced two batters but got both batters out and picked up the save. 

At the Plate:

• Eight different players had hits for the Hawks in the win. Most notably, Edwards went two-for-four and drove in two runs, she's is hitting .421 with 8 RBI's over the 8 games in Florida. Beebe had two hits, two runs scored, and picked up an RBI. Lembo had a hit, run, and RBI as well. 

Post Game Press:
"It feels great to get these two wins especially coming together and working as a team and we are looking to win two more tomorrow!", said junior Adelie Beebe (Sacramento, Calif.).

Up Next:
The Hawks will wrap up their Spring Break trip tomorrow, first at 10 AM they take on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Then in their final game of the Space Coast Spring Games they play Hamilton College at 12:15 pm.

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