Softball starts season with losing streak

Hartford Softball traveled to Boiling Springs, North Carolina this past weekend for the two-day Runnin’ Bulldogs Tournament hosted by Gardner-Webb.

The Hawks took on the Oakland Golden Grizzlies for their first tilt of the season Friday, Feb. 15.  After Freshman Paige Fedak tied the game coming home on a wild pitch, Oakland would go on to score six unanswered runs.  Hartford looked to mount a comeback after stringing together two runs in the bottom of the sixth, but ultimately could not close the gap, finishing with a 7-4 loss to the Golden Grizzlies to start the season.

Later that day, the Hawks were slated to face off against the women from Sacred Heart.  The Sacred Heart Pioneers got off to a hot start against Hartford opening up the game with a 3-0 lead through the second inning.  Danielle Rocheleau started the scoring in the third with a sac fly, before Fedak would earn a walk with loaded bases to bring in the second run of the inning.  Even with things looking tight through three, the Pioneers would go on to outscore the Hawks 7-1 the rest of the game, ending in a 10-3 loss for Hartford.

Hartford Softball started day two of tournament play at noon Saturday, Feb. 16, slated against the host Gardner-Webb.  With a 1-1 game entering the third inning, Hartford would take earn its first lead of the new year off of Danielle Rocheleau’s three run home run.  Unfortunately, these would be the last of the runs for the Hawks, as the Bulldogs tallied 11 straight runs to cap off the 12-4 win in five innings.

The Hawks’ final game of the tournament came against Loyola Chicago at 6 p.m. that evening.  This one slipped away from Hartford as Loyola Chicago shutout the Hawks 8-0 in five innings.

Hartford will enjoy the next weekend off before they head out to the Townson Tournament March 1, beginning the three-day tourney with a matchup against Yale at 10 a.m.