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Salisbury, MD – On Friday, March 8, the softball team kicked off their season at the Salisbury Tournament with a double header. The Hawks dropped the first game against East Mennonite, 11-3 and then fell to Wilkes University in a tight 7-6 contest. With the losses, Hunter will continue to search for their first win as they stand at 0-2.
 
East Mennonite
In their first outing of the season, the Hawks managed to scrape up three runs on four hits but were chalked up for 11 runs on 15 Mennonite hits to suffer the 11-3 loss.
 
Brianna Kresback, Sophia Ponce and Molly Meehan each had one hit while Holly Isenberg had three RBI on her one hit of the game. Angel Iacovetti and Briana Lombardo split time on the mound; Iacovetti hurled three innings, struck out five and allowed four runs (all unearned) on five hits while Lombardo tossed two and two thirds and allowed seven runs on 10 hits.
 
A C. Racer double in the second drove in the game's first run for Mennonite while B. Hensley's singled to scored two more of her teammates to put up a three-run first and take the early 3-0 lead. Down 4-0 in the top of the fourth, Hunter rallied behind Isenberg who jacked a three-run shot over center field to score Meghan O'Shea and Ponce, making it a one run affair.
 
However, East Mennonite put up back to back deuces in the bottom of the fourth and fifth and then closed out the game with a three spot in the bottom of the sixth to close the books on Hunter's first outing.
 
Wilkes University
The Hawks held a 6-4 advantage heading into the sixth inning, but allowed one in the top of the frame and then surrendered the tying and go-ahead runs in the top of the seventh and were not able to get them back as they would fall for the second time on the day, 7-6.
 
O'Shea was 2-4 and drove in two while Lombardo raked up two RBI as well on one hit. Amanda Annicaro and Kresback each had one hit and one RBI on the day while Julia Lipovac and Ponce both recorded multiple hit games. As a team, the Hawks had 10 total hits and struck out only twice. Annicaro saw the first three innings on the mound and gave up four runs on six hits while Sara Beck suffered the loss in her first outing as she tossed four innings and allowed three runs on four hits.
 
Each team traded RBI singles in the first frame before Wilkes chalked up a three-run second to make it a 4-1 game. Meehan's RBI single in the third cut the deficit to two as the Hawks headed into the bottom of the fifth. There, with the bases juiced with two outs, a double by O'Shea scored two while Lombardo followed up with a 2 RBI single to give Hunter a 6-4 cushion heading into the final two innings.
 
Wilkes rang up Beck for a one run shot in the sixth and then notched two more in the seventh to take a 7-6 lead which proved to be just enough to hold on as Hunter suffered their second loss of the day.