MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Hawks only scored twice, but those runs were enough to lift the Hilbert softball team to a 2-1 victory over Rivier College this morning, giving them a series sweep over the Nashua, New Hampshire institution.
Hilbert dropped to 4-5 after their 4-2 defeat off the bats of Waynesburg which completed their 2019 Fastpitch Dreams Spring Classic experience.
Marisa McIntyre improved to 4-3 on the year earning both wins against Rivier and has jumped to the top in the AMCC with a 7.1 K/7 innings average after fanning 36 batters this spring.
GAME ONE
Hilbert put two runs on the board in the top of the 4th and held that lead through the end of the game. Rivier scored their solo run in the 5th after consecutive walks and a passed ball gave them the light to sprint home.
Marisa McIntyre finished the game with two personal bests this season: nine strikeouts and two walks. She put together three innings where she faced only three batters and got out of a jam in the 5th inning thanks to a double play turned behind her.
Nateal Papasergi went 2-for-3 and
Maia Delaney added two hits in the game.
Sam Shallcross' single to left field gave her a bag as
Morgan McNeill moved her to third off a ground out.
Gabriella Bongiorno's RBI pushed Shallcross home thanks to a Rivier fielding error. Bongiorno then moved to third and stole home off a steal attempt at second base.
McNeill and
Morgan Grosch each started the two double plays the Hawks posted today.
GAME TWO
It was a defensive battle for most of the game, as the only scoring occurred in the 1st and 6th innings.
Alyssa Barnas started it off with a ground ball to center field and dashed home off
Melanie Basile's poke to the right field.
Right out of the gate, Waynesburg opened the bottom half with a triple which led to a score off a wild pitch two batters later. The Yellow Jackets used a sac fly to take the lead which held until the top of the 6th.
Hilbert hit three consecutive singles to the outfield and loaded the bases which led to Bongiorno picking up her second RBI of the day to knot the score 2-2.
Waynesburg loaded the bases and then scored off a wild pitch to take the go-ahead run before they tacked one more on the end the game.
The Hawks earned seven hits spaced evenly among the starters.
Melanie Basile (0-1) gave up two earned runs, four walks and struck one out through 5.2 innings.
Hilbert will return to Hamburg this weekend and are scheduled to host Elmira College March 22 in their first home game in Western New York this spring.
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