Brooklyn, NY - The top seeded Hunter softball team began play in the CUNYAC Championship Tournament this afternoon. A first round draw pitted them against the #4 Lightning of Lehman College, at team they already beat four times during the regular season. Between a complete game, two-hit effort from Leah Dillon in the circle, and 10 team hits from the offense, the Hawks came away with the 7-1 win. They will advance to the winners bracket and resume play tomorrow.

A total of eight players recorded a hit with Alyssa Curiale and Dillon tallying two each. Olivia Palumbo went 1-2 with a double, two runs scored and two RBI while Curiale filled the stat sheet with a 2-3 plate performance to go along with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored. Dillon tossed the full seven innings and allowed just two hits and one earned run while complimenting her impressive outing with eight strike outs.

The Hunter defense retired the side in each of Lehman's first two innings. In the bottom of the second, Curiale led off with a double and then was driven home by an Olivia Woodruff double to put the Hawks ahead, 1-0. Hunter capitalized on a third inning Lehman fielding miscue and put runners on second and third with one out. Curiale came up big and ripped her second double of the game, driving in two and putting her team up 3-0.

The Purple and Gold added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning thanks to a Kayla Pilotti RBI single, a two-RBI double from Palumbo, and Paige Witalec driving in the final run of the frame. When all was said and done, the Hawks led 7-0. 

Lehman's Sam Nazar tripled to start off the bottom of the seventh and then scored when Mich Frias grounded out to second to finally get the Lightning on the board, but it's as far as they would get as Dillon struck out the final batter to seal the deal with the 7-1 victory.

The Hawks return to action tomorrow for day two when they play #2 John Jay in the winners bracket. Day two will also feature #3 Baruch vs. #4 Lehman in the losers bracket. The winner of Hunter/John Jay will advance to the championship while the loser will play the winner of Baruch/Lehman. All games will be played at Brooklyn College.