NEW YORK, NY - The Purchase College softball team lost a pair of games Wednesday night, falling to the Hawks of Hunter College, 12-4 and 10-6, in a non-conference doubleheader.
With the losses, the Panthers dropped to 3-5 overall, while Hunter improved to 4-3 on the season.
In game one, the hosts struck early, by knocking in two runs in the first inning. Purchase answered with a run in the third, as
Victoria Capone-Froio (SR/Yonkers, NY) crossed home plate on a wild pitch. In bottom half of the frame, the Hawks added two more runs, before Purchase freshman
Kiara Almonte (Manhattan, NY) smacked an RBI single in the top of fourth to make it, 4-2.
However, from there, the Hunter bats exploded. In the bottom of the fourth, the hosts scored six runs, as Brittney Salvador (JR/Whitestone, NY) provided the highlight of the inning with a three-run home run. After the frame, Hunter lead 10-2.
Purchase was able to score a pair of runs in the top of the fifth, but the Hawks responded with their own pair of runs, ending the contest at 12-4.
For the Panthers, Capone-Froio and
Shawna Smith (SO/Kingston, NY) each collected two hits apiece.
Kelly Agostini (SO/Centereach, NY) received the loss in the effort.
In game two, things played out much closer between the two squads, but Hunter still came out on top, 10-6.
To begin the second contest, it was the Panther bats that erupted early, as Agostini smacked a three-run homer in the top of the first. An inning later, Capone-Froio continued her great day with an RBI single, before
Kelly Hayes (SR/Staten Island, NY) drilled a solo home run in the third, pushing the lead to 5-0.
It didn't take long for the Hawks to get back in the game though. Salvador again played the hero for the guests, as she connected on another three-run homer in the fourth, cutting the lead to 5-3. One frame later, Hunter scored a fourth run on an RBI double, as the Purchase advantage was trimmed to just one run.
In the top of the fifth, an RBI groundout from
Cassidy Montes (Yonkers, NY) gave the Panthers some breathing room at 6-4. Unfortunately, the bats went cold from then on for Purchase, while the opposite happened for Hunter.
The hosts added a run in the bottom of the fifth inning, before they cruised to a five-run sixth and a 10-6 lead. After the huge inning, the Panthers were left with just three outs to try to make a comeback, but were too little, too late as Hunter held on for the win.
Agostini, Capone-Froio and Hayes each collected two hits apiece, while Montes finished with the loss for Purchase.
For Hunter, Sarah Schor (FR/Ridge, NY) earned the win after she tossed a 7-inning complete game. However, it was the bats that carried the hosts to the win, as four players finished with two hits. Salvador was one of them, as she also tallied four RBIs and two runs in the effort.
Up next for the Panthers is the start of conference play, as they will be right back in action tomorrow (3/28) against Sarah Lawrence College. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. and you can follow it here.
