HAMBURG, N.Y. – Hilbert College Softball hosted Buffalo State this afternoon in a non-conference doubleheader at FSSJ Field Complex. The visiting Bengals took down the Hawks 17-1 in game one, before completing the sweep with a 7-5 game two victory.
Buffalo State took control early in the opener, using a four-run second inning followed by a decisive 14-run third to build a large lead. Hilbert continued to battle throughout the contest and broke through in the bottom of the third inning.
Madison Esmond reached after being hit by a pitch and later came around on an error to account for the Hawks' lone run. After the extended third inning, Hilbert settled in defensively and limited further damage as the Bengals added three runs in the fifth to close out the game.
Grace Schwarzkopf,
Vanessa Koenig, and
Victoria Koenig each added hits while Esmond scored the Hawks' lone run. In the circle,
Kimberly Bentley earned the start before
Stephanie Mirras and
Brenna Mulvaney combined for relief appearances, providing stability after the early surge as the Hawks turned their attention toward regrouping for the nightcap.
The nightcap saw a much tighter contest, with the Hawks responding after Buffalo State jumped out to an early lead. The visitors plated four runs in the first inning, but Hilbert answered with a three-run rally in the bottom of the third.
Madison Esmond and
Kaitlin Stolowski drew walks to start the frame, before
Shelby Schimek,
Grace Schwarzkopf, and
Victoria Koenig all drove in runs to make it a 6-5 game.
After starting pitcher
Stephanie Mirras held the Bengals offense scoreless in the fourth and fifth frames, the Hawks cut the lead to just one with a pair of fifth inning runs thanks to RBI from
Victoria Koenig and
Sadie Plotkin.
However, the Bengals added an insurance run in the top of the sixth while keeping the Hawks off the board in the final two frames to wrap up the 7-5 victory.
Schimek and
Victoria Koenig each collected a pair of hits, while Koenig's two RBI led the way for the Hawks' offense. On the mound, Mirras went the distance, allowing five earned runs in seven innings while striking out four.
UP NEXT:
Hilbert remains home for an AMCC doubleheader against Pitt-Greensburg. Game one is set for 1 pm on Saturday.
