BOXSCORE - Game One
BOXSCORE - Game Two
PATCHOGUE, NY – The Hunter College softball team managed a comeback in game one to top St. Joseph's-Long Island, 3-2 but the Golden Eagles returned the favor in game two, barreling back from a 4-0 hole to top the Hawks, 9-6 at the SJC Outdoor Athletic Complex on Friday afternoon.
Hunter is now 10-12 overall while St. Joseph's-Long Island is 11-9 on the year.
In game one, Hunter slowly chipped away at an early St. Joseph's lead to complete a 5-3 comeback as Sophia Ponce and Angel Iacovetti each went yard with home runs to lead the Hawks with two hits each. Molly Meehan also finished with a pair of base knocks in the victory.
Hunter found itself in an early hole as the Golden Eagles drove in two runs in the bottom of the first inning. The Hawks retaliated in the top of the second inning as Meghan O'Shea ripped a two-out single down the leftfield line to plate Josephine Estevez who doubled earlier in the frame, cutting St. Joseph's lead to one (2-1).
After an uneventful third inning, Hunter tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth as Iacovetti took control with two outs, driving a shot over the wall in left for her second homer of the season to even the affair.
The Hawks took a one-run lead in the fifth inning. Briana Kresback drew a one-out walk and then stole second before scoring on Ponce's RBI single to center, giving Hunter a 3-2 advantage.
St. Joseph's wouldn't go without a fight though, tying the game in the bottom of the sixth on a RBI-groundout to make it 3-all.
The Hawks had the final say though as Crissette Maxwell notched a one out single to set the table for Ponce who delivered a two-out two run bomb to right center to put Hunter ahead, 5-3.
After surrendering a single to start the seventh, Iacovetti got the next Golden eagle to line out before tossing a double play ball to seal the victory.
Iacovetti (6-6) earned the win for Hunter, lasting seven innings and surrendering three runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Game two began with Hunter taking a four-run lead. Maxwell, Kresback and Ponce each registered singles to load the bases. With one away, Estevez reached on an error by the pitcher, scoring Maxwell. A RBI-groundout from Julia Lipovac plated another run before back to back RBI singles from Lauren Stensland and Kristen McGoldrick put the Hawks up 4-0.
St. Joseph's slowly chipped away at the Hawks' lead, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second and third innings to tie the game up at 4-all.
The Hawks scored a run atop the fourth as Kresback delivered a sac-fly RBI to put Hunter up 5-4 but it wouldn't last. The Golden Eagles rattled off five runs in the bottom half of the stanza thanks to just two hits and three costly Hawk errors to make it a 9-5 affair.
Hunter managed a tally on a two-out RBI single from Kresback to make it 9-6 but would add no more as the Golden Eagles held on for the victory in game two.
Stensland (1-3) was saddled with the loss, surrendering five earned runs on four hits in three innings of work. Amanda Annicaro entered in relief and allowed an earned run on a pair of hits in three innings pitched.
Hunter returns to the diamond this Monday, April 9 with a pair of games against College of Staten Island slated to start at 12pm. The games will be played at Randall's Island.
