HAMBURG, N.Y. – Even after falling to Penn State Behrend (10-1) in the opening game, the Hilbert College softball team didn't roll over in game two. The Hawks chipped away at the Lions and kept the score under the 8-run rule extending play to a full 7-inning, AMCC game. Behrend's 11-4 night cap win moved them to 7-1 and in a fight for #1 ranking in the league.
GAME 1
The Lions first batter opened the day with a long ball over the short fence followed by a second run in the 1st inning.
Behrend added their second home run over the center field fence and took a 7-run lead heading into the bottom of the third.
Nateal Papasergi and
Brittany Cooley earned hits early in the game but found themselves stranded before they made it home.
In the bottom of the 5th,
Hannah Prenoveau connected with a short slapper and beat the throw to first for the third base runner of the day.
Alexandria Wankel plated the Hawks' first run with a shallow double to center field and got Hilbert on the board, 7-1.
Behrend used three hits and scored three more runs in the top of the 6th and then held the Hawks in the bottom half.
Jenna Castricone was the final Hawk to touch 1st base thanks to her single up the middle in the bottom of the final inning.
GAME 2
If Behrend hadn't posted nine runs in the 1st inning, and the game was picked up after that point, Hilbert would have won based on the final six innings of work.
The Hawks found their touch on the ball scoring four runs and held the Lions to only two runs the rest of the way.
Rebecca Bailey hit a hard ball through the right side and earned Hilbert's first hit of the game but she never made it home in the second inning.
Morgan McNeill double to right field and knocked in the first run in the 4th. Castricone followed with another double which scored a pair of runner and extended the game as they cut the score to 10-3.
Nifty base running by McNeill put her in scoring position after she stole second and then took third on a throwing error. She made her way home off Castricone's RBI single in the bottom of the sixth.
Castricone went 2-for-3 and added three RBIs. McNeill matched the 2-for-3 at the plate performance but scored two runs and knocked in an RBI.
Hilbert (9-13, 2-6) heads to Pittsburgh this weekend when they play the 0-8 La Roche Redhawks on April 15 in a 1pm double header.
