Newport News, VA - The Hunter softball team kicked off day one of action in the NCAA Regional Tournament hosted by Christopher Newport University. Pitted against Messiah University, the Hawks has just three hits on the day and wound up falling by a score of 3-0.  

Nicole Bowe, Samantha Marsala and Leah Dillon accounted for all three of Hunters hits and were thr three lone base runners. In the circle, T'ea Panagakos hurled three complete innings and faced one batter in the fourth during her outing. She gave up six hits and three earned runs while striking out two. Dillon came in for relief and threw the remaining three innings and allowed two hits and struck out two. 

Messiah loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of first. They managed to get on the scoreboard with one run scored before Panagakos struck out Litwin and got Mellage to ground out, getting out of the jam. Dillon recorded the Purple and Gold's first hit in the second inning but was left stranded at first. 

In the bottom of the second, the Falcons ripped back-to-back doubles to add a run and then Shannon hit a home run in the fourth make it a 3-0 affair. Marsala had a two-out single in the fifth but Kayla Pilotti grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning. Bowe earned her single in the sixth but made it no further than first base. With last licks, the Purple and Gold went down in order, suffering the 3-0 loss.

The team returns to action tomorrow, May 14 when they face Wilson College in the day's second game at 1:30pm. The winner will stay alive and play the winner of game 1 which will be Christopher Newport vs Messiah while the loser will be eliminated.