ELMIRA, N.Y. – The Hilbert College softball team returned to action this afternoon after a 20-day layoff from competition.
The Hawks, tied 1-1 through five innings, dropped the opening game 6-1 before they slid to a 10-4 loss at Elmira College this afternoon.
Hilbert (4-9 overall) forced a 1-1 tie in the second inning of the opening game when
Alexandria Wankel singled through the right side. Her hit knocked in
Morgan Grosch who got on-base with a double to right field.
Both teams played great defense and limited their opponents to at-most four appearances at the plate each inning before they shifted field positions.
The Soaring Eagles broke the game open in the bottom of the 6th, and it started with a double to right center. That batter stole home which started the flow of runners back home.
Rachel Allen gave up five hits that resulted in five runs; she ended the inning striking their last batter out..
In a come-back effort,
Jenna Castricone and
Brittany Cooley each singled and waited on base for their push home in the top of the seventh. The final two outs for Hilbert resulted in the 6-1 loss.
Grosch led the Hawks with a pair of hits and scored the solo run.
Crystal Hailey went 2-for-3 in the night cap and scored one run as the Hawks suffered a 10-4 loss.
Morgan McNeill knocked in a pair of runs off her one hit and Wankel and
Rebecca Bailey each found an RBI during the game.
Jaelyn Gotham went just over four innings in the circle and fanned three batters while forcing 10 defensive outs. She finished with seven earned runs off eight hits.
Victoria Dzaak closed the game with three hits and a pair of earned runs.
Wankel opened the game with a single to the right field and made it home thanks to
Morgan McNeill's bat in the third slot.
Elmira responded with a pair of runs in the bottom half and tacked an additional score two innings later to take a 3-1 lead.
The Soaring Eagles posted three more runs in the fourth inning to stretch their lead to five runs.
Crystal Hailey singled to start the fifth and Wankel reached on an error as both runners now moved to second and third base to start the fifth inning. The next two batters (Bailey and McNeill) earned RBIs but never made it to base and the offense stalled.
Elmira tacked two more runs in the bottom half for an 8-3 lead yet the Hawks were still in the game. With bases loaded, Wankel earned a fielder's choice RBI as
Jenna Castricone scored the Hawks final run of the game in the top of the sixth.
Elmira closed the game with three hits and two runs in the 6th then held the Hawks score-less for the 10-4 victory.
Hilbert is excited to start the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference portion of their schedule this weekend when they travel to Pittsburgh, Pa. to battle La Roche College Saturday, April 2.
