Army Splits Midweek Doubleheader with Hartford

Wednesday, May 2

West Hartford, CT

2:30 PM

Army West Point

22-26

Hartford

10-28

Army

HARTFORD

Army Splits Midweek Doubleheader with Hartford

May 02, 2018 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Army West Point softball team bounced back after a 3-1 defeat in the opening game to Hartford by outscoring the Hawks 8-3 in the second tilt of a non-conference doubleheader on Wednesday afternoon.

The Black Knights (23-26) outhit the Hawks (10-29) in the two games combined, 18-15. Four Cadets tallied a hit in both of the games, including Kristen McPeek, who led the charge offensively with five hits on the afternoon. She drove in three and crossed the plate twice.

Lacey Swafford, Taylor Drayton and Katie Ontiveros all had a multi-hit performance on the day, combining for eight hits, four RBIs and three runs scored.

GAME 1: HARTFORD 3, ARMY 1

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTEs

Ontiveros tallied her first multi-hit game of the season.
Swafford recorded her sixth double of the season.
McPeek notched her eighth two-bagger of the year.
She had her ninth multi-hit performance this season.
Poirier made her 15th appearance in the circle this season.
She allowed just one earned run in six innings of work while tying her season-high with five strikeouts.
Five Cadets combined for seven hits.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Hawks were limited to only one hit in the third, but were able to manufacture two runs to jump ahead 2-0.
Hartford tacked on an insurance score in the fourth when a pair of costly Army errors permitted another run to cross.
After being held scoreless through the opening five frames, Army got on the board in the sixth. Swafford led off the inning with a double to deep left and after two outs were recorded, she came in to score on an Ontiveros RBI single up the middle.
That was all the Cadets could muster as Hartford closed out the game and secured the 3-1 victory.

GAME 2: ARMY 8, HARTFORD 3

ARMY HIGHLIGHTS AND GAME NOTES

Reilly recorded her ninth double this year.
She picked up a hit for the fourth straight game.
McPeek tallied a base hit for the fourth consecutive outing.
She posted her third three-hit performance of her senior season.
Madison Bryant made her second collegiate start.
Macey Newbary came on in relief to start the third inning and in five innings of work gave up just one earned run.
She picked up her sixth win of the season.
Army tallied double-digit hits in a game for the eighth time this year.
Seven different Cadets crossed home in the game.
Amelia Trotter swiped her 13th bag of the season.
Drayton notched eighth career multi-hit game.
Swafford posted her ninth multi-hit game of the season.

HOW IT HAPPENED

McPeek led off the game with a liner back at the pitcher for an infield single. The senior then came around to score once Reilly blasted a two-bagger off the wall in center. Army tried to plate another run in the frame after Ballesteros singled through the left side, but Reilly was thrown out at the dish.
The Black Knight lead did not hold for long as Hartford answered right back and scored the game-tying run in the home half of the first.
Hartford plated another run in the following inning, but Army was quick to counter in the third. McPeek picked up her second hit of the game and Reilly followed with a base on balls. After the first out was recorded, back-to-back singles by Swafford and Drayton ensued and a pair of runs crossed to give Army a 3-2 lead.
The Black Knights continued to do damage and Ontiveros reached on a costly Hartford fielding error that allowed another Army run to cross. With one out and runners on the corners, Ally Snelling grounded out to the right side of the infield and Drayton scampered home from third to cap a four-run inning.
The Cadets added to their lead in the fifth with three two-out runs. Snelling doubled and following back-to-back walks, the bases were loaded for McPeek, who took a pitch and roped it into the gap in left center for a bases-clearing double.
The Army lead ultimately held with Newbary denying the Hawks of any runs with the exception of one in the seventh to give the Black Knights an 8-3 win.

UP NEXT

Army will return to West Point to close out the Patriot League regular season against Lafayette. The series will begin with a Saturday doubleheader starting at noon.