PITTSBURGH, PA – Hilbert College Softball traveled to Pittsburgh this afternoon where the Hawks suffered a pair of one-run defeats at the hands of the Carlow University Celtics. The hosts used a five-run first inning in game one for a 5-4 victory, before scoring the final three runs of game two to walk-off and sweep the Hawks.
Kailey Stolowski (6 IP, 5 ER, 5 Ks),
Alana Yadov (5 IP, 3 ER, 6 Ks), and
Kimberly Bentley (1.2 IP, 1 ER) split the circle for Hilbert, while
Samantha Heppel and
Jazlynn Soliz led the Hawks with a pair of RBIs each on the afternoon.
Game One: Hilbert 4 – Carlow 5
Game Two: Hilbert 3 – Carlow 4
Game One:
- Following a 1-2-3 first inning by the Hilbert offense, Carlow used an RBI single, and a pair of two-RBI doubles to jump out to a 5-0 advantage after the opening frame.
- The scoreboard remained unchanged after the second and third innings, before the Hawks enjoyed a big offensive inning of their own in the top of the fourth. After singles from Madison Esmond, Emily Lacki, and Samantha Heppel opened the inning, Soliz and Stolowski's groundouts brought in runs, before Yadov's double scored Heppel to cut the deficit to 5-3.
- The offense carried over into the top of the fifth as Heppel's double scored Grace Schwarzkopf, who led off the inning with a double, but the Hawks were unable to add any more runs as they still trailed by one.
- Despite three hits over the next two innings, and runners in scoring position in each frame, Hilbert was unable to complete the comeback and overcome the big first inning by the Celtics as the Hawks fell 5-4.
Game Two:
- Hilbert got the offense going early in game two, as Heppel's third hit and second RBI of the afternoon brought home Lacki for a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
- The Celtics got a run of their own in the bottom of the second to tie the game, but the Hawks immediately had an answer as a pair of third inning runs regained the lead and made it 3-1. Soliz's RBI walk and Schwarzkopf's RBI single put the runs on the board for Hilbert.
- However, after a pair of scoreless frames, the hosts were able to knot the game once again as a two-run effort in the bottom of the sixth made it a 3-3 game.
- The Celtics completed the comeback in the bottom of the seventh as three singles were enough to bring a runner home and walk-off game two of the doubleheader for the AMCC sweep.
Up Next
The Hawks are back home Monday, April 14
th for an AMCC doubleheader against Alfred State College. Fans are invited to come check out the FSSJ Softball Field revitalizations beginning at 2:30 pm prior to the 3 pm first pitch.