MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. – The Hilbert College softball team went 1-2 in the final day of competition at the Fastpitch Dreams Classic today. The Hawks fell in 5-innings to Lycoming College (5-1) beat Franciscan University (0-10) in a six-inning non-conference game, 10-1 and stayed with Eastern Mennonite University in a close 4-2 loss.
The trip was a great learning experience for the team and the coaches as they blend their new personalities together in hopes of finishing as one-of-the-top six teams in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference by the end of April.
In the 9:30 am game, the Hawks gave up runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings while posting their only run in the fourth in their shortened game against the Warriors.
Lycoming benefited from a few Hilbert errors to grab a pair of runs in the 3rd and four more in the 4th inning. Strong hitting by Warriors (a double and triple) closed the game with an 8-run rule at the bottom of the fifth.
Amanda Cooley's at bat in the fourth pushed
Morgan Grosch home who got on-base with a single to left field. Things looked promising as
Alexandria Wankel earned a bag with a hit to center field, but she was left on base as the inning ended.
Jaelyn Gotham took the loss in the circle as she gave up one earned run and finished with one strike out through four complete innings facing 22 batters.
Victoria Dzaak saw action against six batters in the final inning and gave up three hits which lead to three earned runs.
In the second game of what looked like a cloudless sky and sounded like a warm, beautiful day (on video), the Hawks jumped on Franciscan early and built a 7-1 lead after two innings.
Cooley went 2 for 2 and joined
Anndrea Quiroga with 3 RBI's.
Cooley hit a double and both Quiroga and
Hannah Prenoveau collected hits to push in five runs in the first inning. The Hawks padded their score with a pair of runs after getting on base thanks to two walks, getting hit by a pitch and a fielder's choice tap.
Jenna Castricone picked-up an RBI and a wild pitch raised the score to 7-1 after two.
After two score-less innings, Hilbert found a run in 5th, for a seven-run lead. Cooley took first off a walk and was sent to the plate by
Crystal Hailey's ground-out.
In the top of the sixth, Quiroga's single drove home two more runs which built the 8-run rule. Allen (3-2 record) took the first three batters to task and won the game for the Hawks.
Hilbert picked right-up where they left-off in the second game today in the start of their final game against Eastern Mennonite. The 7-3 Royals had their hands full with the 4-7 Hawks.
Victoria Dzaak forced Eastern Mennonites batters into 16 outs created by her defense. She also earned two strike outs and two earned runs and pitched her best game of the week going 6 the full six innings in the loss.
After spotting the Royals a run in the second, fourth and two in the fifth, Hilbert trailed 4-0 going into their last at-bats.
The seventh inning was exciting for Hilbert. An error by the third-baseman put
Morgan McNeill on first and after
Shenique Nibbs entered the game as a pinch hitter, she singled up the middle to give Quiroga options. #14 tripled to right field and knocked in both runners ahead of her with only one out on the board. Castricone grounded out to the short stop and Quiroga was tagged out at home to end the game.
Besides Quiroga,
Rebecca Bailey reached for a triple and
Brittany Cooley struck for a double while Nibbs earned the only other hit for the Hawks.
Hilbert returns to Hamburg tomorrow and has a few days off from competition. Their next scheduled game is at Elmira College March 30. They hope to host their home-opener April 5 against Penn State Behrend.
