Softball Takes First Two At Hartford
Game 1 Box Score ǀ Game 2 Box Score
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Playing in their fourth doubleheader since Sunday, the University at Albany softball team took the first two games in a three-game set against conference opponent Hartford on Saturday. The Danes (18-9, 7-3) won the first game over the Hawks (7-20, 1-7) 7-0, and won the second game 11-1 in six innings.
Brittany MacFawn (9-5) pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout in the first game for UAlbany. MacFawn struck out 13 and walked none in the game. The Danes scored early in the top of the first inning, after Vicky McFarland worked a leadoff walk, and Kelly Costello hit a single to center that was botched by the center fielder, allowing McFarland to cross the plate and give the UAlbany a 1-0 lead.
UAlbany didn’t score again until the top of the fourth inning. Maggie Cocks led off the inning getting hit by a pitch. Elizabeth Snow popped up a bunt to third. Cocks then stole second before Marlin Solano singled up the middle, which allowed Cocks to score from second. Kate Biasi pinch ran for Solano, and then Charlise Castro doubled down the right field line. With runners on second and third, Lauren Alcorn hit a single to center, scoring both Biasi and Castro.
The Danes added three more runs in the top of the sixth inning. Snow kicked things off with a single to right field. Kayla Bailey came in to pinch run for snow. After a series of substitutions, Solano came up to bat and was hit by a pitch, advancing Bailey to second. Castro then hit a single to left, advancing Bailey and Solano, and loading the bases. Finally, Alcorn hit a bases-clearing double to left center, giving UAlbany a 7-0 lead that would hold as the final score. Alcorn drove in five of UAlbany’s seven runs, and Castro went 2-3 with two runs scored.
Mackenzie Thompson (5-1) pitched all six innings of the second game, giving up one run on four hits with three strikeouts and three walks. UAlbany’s offense exploded in the first inning with six runs. McFarland was hit by a pitch to start the game. Costello then walked, pushing McFarland to second. McFarland then stole third, and Cocks walked, loading the bases. Castro drew a third straight walk, forcing in McFarland, and forcing a pitching change for Hartford.
Following the pitching change, Solano drew a fourth consecutive walk, forcing in Costello. Snow reached first safely on an error by the pitcher that scored Castro and Cocks and pushed Solano to third. Snow then advanced to second on a wild pitch, which also scored Solano. Alcorn grounded out third, advancing Snow to third and recording the first out of the inning after five runs had scored. Jess Tate then struck out, and Alexa Toole followed with a single to center that scored Snow. The Danes batted around in the inning, and had Cocks come up to bat again in the three spot before recording the third out.
The Danes added one more run in each of the top of the second and third innings. In the second, Snow scored on a wild pitch with Tate at bat, and in the third, Cocks scored from second on a single by Castro to center. Hartford made its second pitching change of the game in the second inning. The Hawks scored their first and only run of the day in the bottom of the fourth, after a leadoff double and an RBI single, cutting UAlbany’s lead to 8-1.
In the top of the sixth, UAlbany scored three more runs. Castro led off the inning with a double to center. Solano then reached safely on an error by the second baseman that allowed Castro to score. Bailey pinch ran for Solano before Snow worked a walk. Alcorn flied out to right, and then Tate reached safely on an error by the second baseman, but was thrown out trying to reach second. Snow advanced to third and Bailey scored on the play. Toole then hit a single down the right field line, scoring Snow, and giving UAlbany its final lead of 11-1. Castro went 2-3 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Snow hit 2-3 and scored three runs. Toole hit 2-3 with 2 RBIs.
UAlbany wraps its series with Hartford tomorrow at 12:00 p.m. Another short turnaround awaits the team afterwards, however, as the Danes will hit the road once again for back to back doubleheaders Tuesday and Wednesday against Colgate and Cornell.
