NEWARK, N.J.- Despite a breakout offensive performance in Game 1, Hunter College's softball team dropped both ends of a road doubleheader against Rutgers-Newark Thursday at Frederick Douglass Field, falling 18–17 in a wild Game 1 before being shut out 9–0 in Game 2.
Game 1: Hunter 17, Rutgers-Newark 18
The Hawks (5-15) put together their most explosive offensive performance of the season in the high scoring opener, racking up 17 hits and scoring in five of seven innings against the Scarlet Raiders (8-12). Senior Olivia Palumbo went 4-for-6 with a double, triple, three runs scored and two RBIs. Paige Witalec was 3-for-4 with a walk, four RBIs and three runs scored.
Sonia Rosales Rosenthal drove in two runs with a double, while Nicole Bowe added an RBI and reached base twice. Pitcher Isabella Thumhart helped her own cause with a 2-for-4 effort and two RBIs at the plate. Janice Hernandez, Adriana Ramirez, Jessica Fowler and Elizabeth Thompson also contributed offensively, as Hunter plated seven runs in the second inning and five more in the fifth to stay in contention throughout.
Thumhart took the loss in the circle, allowing 17 runs (eight earned) over five innings. Bowe pitched a scoreless seventh in relief, facing four batters.
Game 2: Hunter 0, Rutgers-Newark 9
Senior Olivia Palumbo led the offensive charge with a sensational 4-for-6 performance that included a double, a triple, three runs scored, and two RBIs from the leadoff spot. Paige Witalec was equally dominant, going 3-for-4 with a walk, three runs scored, and a team-leading four RBIs.
Designated hitter Sonia Rosales Rosenthal added a two-run double, while Nicole Bowe contributed an RBI and reached base twice. Isabella Thumhart helped her own cause from the circle with a 2-for-4 day at the plate, driving in two.
Janice Hernandez chipped in with an RBI single and scored twice, and catcher Adriana Ramirez had a strong showing with three hits, a walk, and an RBI. Jessica Fowler and Elizabeth Thompson each added base hits, with Fowler scoring twice and driving in one.
The Hawks put up crooked numbers in the 2nd and 5th innings, scoring seven and five runs respectively, but ultimately fell one run short in a back-and-forth slugfest. Thumhart and Brianna Flores combined for six innings in the circle, with Thumhart taking the loss.
Game 2: Offense Cooled in Shutout Loss
Things cooled off in Game 2, as Hunter was held to five hits in a 9–0 defeat.
Witalec continued her strong day at the plate, accounting for more than half of Hunter's offense with a 3-for-3 effort that included a double. Fowler and Hernandez each added hits, but the Hawks were unable to string them together.
Grace Basil started in the circle and went the distance, allowing 11 hits and 9 earned runs in four innings.
Despite the loss, Witalec's combined 6-for-7 performance across both games was a bright spot, while Palumbo and Ramirez also provided key offensive sparks in Game 1.
The Hawks return to the diamond on Saturday April 5, as they host Lehman College in the team's conference opener on Randall's Island Field #12. First pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.
