HAMBURG, N.Y.  – Hilbert College Softball finished the regular season today with a bang! 

The Hawks swept Pitt-Greensburg (3-0 | 11-3), honored their six seniors (Chloe Champagne, Leandra Cruz, Avery Cusack, Gina Salerno, Makenna Smith, and Adriana Vara) prior to the 1 pm double header and finished the season at 14-16 overall and went 8-10 in AMCC action.

With 14 wins this year, the Hawks were (are) two wins away from setting a new over-all win record, and with the 8-10 league record, they finished one win away from tying the most successful season (2018 - 9-9 record).

And the Hawks season might still be alive depending on the outcome of conference games still to be played Saturday, May 4th.  Hilbert is battling Alfred State for the 6th and final spot to be filled in the postseason tournament which will begin next week.

Hilbert was knocking on the door hard in the opening game, but they battled through to the 6th inning before the Hawks pulled away.  After a brief break, Hilbert put runs on the board in four of their five innings before putting the night cap away with the 8-run rule win.

GAME 1

Hilbert had runners in scoring position in each inning except the 4th.  Kaitlin Stolowski stole second in the opening inning, Victoria Hanley's base hit placed her in scoring reach in the second inning, and Emily Lacki and Alana Yadov were both within scoring distance in the third.  After three quick outs in the fourth, the Hawks found their power again and loaded the bases but were unable to make it count.

The Hawks unleashed their bats in the 6th inning and used the bottom of the batting order to manufacture three runs for the win. Hanley poked her second hit then traded places with Mackenzie Catan, the pinch runner.  Brooke Feliciano pushed Catan to third base before Feliciano stole second. Emma Gionta earned an RBI single and advanced another base as the Bobcats were late on the throw as Catan scored the first run. Makenna Smith's ground out scored Feliciano and Kaitlin Stolowski's singe to right field pushed Gionta home for the final run.

Kailey Stolowski earned her 9th win, and her 11th complete game her rookie year. She struck out five, walked one while allowing four hits.

Kaitlin Stolowski and Victoria Hanley each earned two hits in the win.

GAME 2

The night cap started fast for the Hawks.  Lead off batter Makenna Smith scored the first run after she walked to first base. Kailin Stolowski's ground-out and the Bobcats ensuing throwing error allowed Smith to make it home safely.  Hanley poked a 2-run single to lift the Hawks by three.

Smith's single to left field was more than enough time for Feliciano to take off from second base for another run scored in the 2nd inning. Smith's then stole second, putting her in a two-way tie for the most steals in Hilbert history but never made it home.

The Hawks, after a quiet third inning, struck twice more in the fourth. Alana Yadov made contact lifting two more runs on the score board.   They needed those runs after the Bobcats manufactured three runs in the top half of the fourth.

Hilbert then poured it on in the bottom of the 5th to build an 8-run difference. The Hawks loaded the bases three times, scoring twice in the run before Yadov reached to the right field for two more runs.  Adriana Vara replaced Yadov as a pinch runner and Leandra Cruz entered as a pinch hitter.  One swing later, Cruz's outfield hit knocked in the 11th run for the win.

Smith went 3-for-3, scored three runs, along with her career-tying stolen base and Alana Yadov, besides fanning nine batters, tossed a four-hitter in addition to earning a team-high four RBIs off two hits.

UP NEXT

The Hawks will have to wait to see how Saturday, May 4th shakes out with other AMCC games still to be played.  The 2024 AMCC Softball Tournament will be played May 9th- 11th in Erie, Pa. at the No.1 seed Penn State Behrend.