NEW YORK, NY – The Hunter College softball team thrashed the visiting Lehman Lightning, 18-2 (4 inn.) before Angel Iacovetti and the Hawks shut the Lightning out, 8-0 (6 inn.) in a doubleheader on Wednesday evening.

Hunter improves to 7-9 overall and 5-0 in the CUNYAC while Lehman drops to 5-11 and 1-5.

Sophia Ponce was 3-for-4 with a home run and eight RBI also scoring two runs while Julia Lipovac, Amanda Annicaro and Briana Kresback each chipped in with two hits apiece.

Annicaro (2-2) earned the win, surrendering just four hits and two earned runs while striking out four.

After Lehman led off with runs in the first and second innings, Hunter waited until the third to erupt offensively as the team put up 13 runs in the home half of the frame to take a decisive lead.

Annicaro led off the frame with a single before Megan O'Shea reached on an error. A single from KayTee Bauer loaded the bases for Crisette Maxwell who drove one in on a fielder's choice. The Lightning's second error of the stanza followed enabling Kresback to reach base prior to a RBI double from Ponce. Josephine Estevez connected on a RBI single before Lipovac singled to keep the bases loaded. RBI singles from Annicaro and O'Shea kept the Hawks in business. Bauer connected on her second single of the frame prior to a 2 RBI double from Kresback setting the stage for a three-run bomb from Ponce to complete the scoring with Hunter ahead 13-2.

Hunter kept the Lightning off the scoreboard in the fourth before picking up where they left off in the bottom of the frame to tack on five more runs. Lipovac singled to start the frame then Nicole Bianco, O'Shea and Rachely Soto each walked as Soto earned the RBI free base. After back to back strikeouts, Ponce crushed her second home run of the day—a grand slam, to clear the bases and put Hunter ahead, 18-2.

The lightning led off the fifth with a walk but would get nothing else going as two groundouts followed by a popup closed out the game.

Angel Iacovetti (4-5) was unstoppable in game two as she threw a six-inning shutout, allowing just three hits while striking out 11 to earn the victory.

Offensively, Iacovetti drove in two runs on a home run while Kresback led the pack with three hits and two runs scored. Maxwell and Lipovac each had two hits.

Hunter opened with a three-run first inning thanks to RBI singles from Ponce and Molly Meehan while a Lightning error awarded the Hawks a third run to make it a 3-0 affair.

In the third, Iacovetti drove a two-run homer to left scoring Lipovac who singled earlier in the frame.

A three-run sixth inning capped things off for the Hawks as Kristen McGoldrick notched a RBI single and Lipovac drove in two on a double to give Hunter the 8-0 win.

Hunter is back in action this Saturday, March 31 as they host CSI at 12pm at Randall's Island Field #12.