15-10 box 15-4 box
HAMBURG, NY – Emili Ripley and Halsey Baker each hit home runs for the Hawks, but Pitt-Greensburg rallied in the top of the seventh inning to take a 15-10 AMCC softball victory over Hilbert College in the opening game on April 22. The Bobcats then went on to score runs in five of the six innings played in the second game to sweep the Hawks 15-4. Kateland Ball finished with two doubles in a five-hit, 2 RBI day for the host team as they dropped to 4-12 in league standings. Greensburg jumped to 11-7 and held onto third place heading into AMCC play-offs.
Hilbert honored their four seniors prior to the start of the game: Halsey Baker, Allison Hall, Jill Martucci and Emili Ripley.
Kateland Ball’s 2 RBI doubled to center field started the action for the Hawks during their second at bat. After Amber Grosch reached first base, Ripley homered sending in three more runs. The excitement on the sidelines hadn’t settled down yet before Baker earned her third long ball of the season which gave the Hawks a seven hit six-run inning. Ripley’s single in the 3rd pushed Ball home giving Hilbert a 8-0 lead after three innings.
Greensburg slowly crawled back into the game. The Bobcats scored two runs in the fourth, four runs in the fifth, one in the sixth but were still trailing the Hawks 10-9 heading into the top of the seventh inning. Greensburg’s first and third batter took Devan Jonathan’s pitch and sent it over the fence which seemed to deflate the Hawks. The visitors gathered six runs off four hits before they took the field to hold their lead in the bottom of the seventh. The Hawks only went through three batters as the third player hit into a double play to end the game.
Ball finished 4-4 with Ripley (5 RBI) and Natalie Whitman each being credited with going 2-4 at the plate. Devan Jonathan and Ripley shared time in the circle with Jonathan taking the loss while striking out four and giving up nine hits. Greensburg had five different players hit home runs during the game.
The night cap game started with the Bobcats getting on base then stealing their way around the horn. After two innings, Greensburg held a 5-3 lead before each team when scoreless in the third inning. The Bobcats hit back-to-back homeruns over the left center fence in the fourth while Hilbert answered back in the bottom half of the inning when Allison Hall knocked in Katie Pettis. Greensburg then stretched their lead with two runs in the fifth and finished with six runs in the sixth inning. For the game, Greensburg finished with 13 stolen bases.
Hall went 2-3 (1 RBI) and Martucci finished with one hit that send two runners home in the bottom of the second inning. Vicki Ernst pitched 4.1 innings with two strike outs before Jonathan came in to close out the game.
The Hawks finish their 2012 season with a home game April 25 against D’Youville College with the first pitch at 3pm.