BROOKLYN, N.Y. — The No. 2 seeded Hunter College softball team (15-25, 7-3 CUNYAC) saw its 2025 campaign come to a close Thursday at the CUNYAC Championship, falling to No. 3 Brooklyn College in the opener before being eliminated in a narrow 4-3 loss to No. 4 Baruch College. Despite the results, senior Paige Witalec delivered a historic day at the plate, cementing her legacy as the program's all-time hits leader. Witalec tallied three hits across both games, finishing with 183 career hits to surpass the previous mark. She also set a new single-season program record with 61 hits in 2025.
Game 1: Brooklyn 4, Hunter 0
The Purple and Gold scattered three hits in the contest but struggled to capitalize on their limited opportunities, as Bulldogs held the team scoreless in the first game of the day. Olivia Palumbo reached base twice, singling in the sixth and walking to lead off the first, while Witalec and Sonia Rosales Rosenthal each added base hits. Hunter's best scoring chance came in the fourth inning, when Witalec reached safely and advanced to third, but a pair of groundouts ended the threat.
Grace Basil went the distance in the circle, allowing nine hits and four runs (two earned) while striking out three. Brooklyn pulled away in the fifth, stringing together three hits and capitalizing on a defensive miscue and passed ball to score three times. Despite the loss, the Hawks stayed competitive behind solid defensive work and a pair of late-inning singles.
Game 2: Baruch 4, Hunter 3
In the team's second game of the day against No. 4 Baruch, the Hawks were eliminated from the CUNYAC Championship despite a seventh-inning rally and another historic performance from Witalec.
After falling behind 4-0 in the third inning, the Purple and Gold chipped away with three unanswered runs, including a two-run rally in the fifth. Hunter got on the board in the third when Rosales Rosenthal drove in Johany Galva with a single, after Galva walked and stole second. In the fifth, Witalec and Rosales Rosenthal both reached before back-to-back wild pitches and an outfield error brought two more runs across, cutting the deficit to one.
Witalec led the way offensively with a 2-for-4 performance, breaking Hunter's all-time career hits record with her second single of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
Nicole Bowe and Jessica Fowler each added base hits, while Adriana Ramirez reached safely in the final frame as Hunter loaded the bases with one out. But the Hawks were unable to capitalize, as a flyout to right and a strikeout ended the rally and the season.
Isabella Thumhart started in the circle and allowed four runs over six innings, while Basil closed with a scoreless seventh. Hunter wraps up its 2025 campaign with a 15-25 overall record.
