After dropping four of their first five games, the Hartford Hawks softball team was on fire this past weekend as they swept the weekend series 3-0 against the Delaware State Hornets. The Hawks wanted redemption from their last time out following the long haul down to Delaware. In last weekend’s series in Virginia, Hartford gave up a total of 28 runs over a five-game period, but it was a different story this time out as the Hawks only let up two runs in three games.
The weekend started with a double-header where the Hawks came out swinging. Game one was a pitcher’s battle where Hartford’s own Julianna Kocenski pitched a complete shutout, only allowing five hits and striking out four. The lone run in the game came in the third inning when Hawk’s Senior Haley Mitchell singled into right-scoring Sophomore Chandler Mitchell. In game two, the bats were alive for Hartford as they flew past the Hornets with a final score of 7-1. Pitchers Caylee English and Lauren Card were on the mound for the Hawks, only letting up six hits and one unearned run. Jordan Nastos and Olivia Wolk earned their first career RBIs in a Hawk’s uniform.
Game three was a slugfest as the Hawks crossed the plate 12 times to defeat the Hornets with a final score of 12-1. Kocenski also got the start on day two, where she pitched five innings, allowing one unearned run on five hits. Olivia Wolk continued to achieve career firsts down in Delaware as she blasted her first collegiate home run with a three-run shot in the top of the fifth. With the series sweep over the Delaware State Hornets, the Hawks will be back in action on March 3 on the road against the Manhattan Jaspers.