Staten Island, NY - The Hunter softball team got back on the winning track earlier this afternoon with a twinbill sweep of John Jay. The Hawks won handily, beating the Bloodhounds by scores of 10-1 and 9-3 to bolster their record to 9-9 overall and 8-0 in league action.
Game 1 (Hunter-10 | John Jay-1)
The Hawks' bats were on point as they shelled Julianne Graepel for eight hits. Seven players registered a hit with
Olivia Palumbo blasting a home run while driving in three and scoring twice.
Alyssa Curiale had a day as well with a single, double, three RBI and one run scored.
T'ea Panagakos went the distance, throwing the full five innings and allowed just one run on four hits while striking out three in the win.
The Purple and Gold wasted no time getting on the scoreboard in the top of the first. With bases loaded and one out, Palumbo reached on a fielder's choice and
Sophia Perez scoring due to a John Jay fielding miscue. Curiale ripped a base clearing, three-RBI double to left center to make it 4-0.
Each team scored one run in the third inning, setting the scoreboard at 5-1 in favor of Hunter. In the top of the fifth, the Hawks really put the game out of reach when Palumbo smacked a two-run homer to right field. They then added another three runs to cap a five-run fifth and go up 10-1. In the bottom of the frame, the Bloodhounds went down in order to seal the victory.
Game 2 (Hunter 9 | John Jay-3)
The Hunter bats once again were hot as they racked up 15 hits in the win. Five players had multi-hit outings with Bowe tallying three hits and two runs scored. Perez went 2-5 with two runs scored while
Paige Witalec filled the stat sheet with a double, homerun, one run scored and four RBI.
Jessica Fowler was an efficient 3-4 with a run scored and two RBI.
Leah Dillon hurled the full seven innings and allowed just three runs on seven hits while striking out four en route to the victory.
Back-to-back doubles from Perez and Witalec put the Hawks up 1-0 in the top of the first. John Jay responded in the bottom of the frame with a run of their own to level the playing field. Fowler's RBI single in the second gave her team the go-ahead run in the top of the second.
It was Hunter's five-run, fourth inning performance that proved to be the difference maker. Fowler had an RBI single and Pilotti scored on a Perez ground out to make it a 4-1 game. With two on and two out, Witalec smacked a three-RBI home run to left field to give her team a comfortable 7-1 advantage.
Both Hunter and John Jay traded two runs each in the top and bottom of the sixth. Hunter's defense held the hosts at bay as they retired the final three batters in the bottom of the seventh to secure the win.
The Hawks return to action on Tuesday, April 19 when they take on the Cardinals of York College. The first pitch of the double header will begin at 2pm.
