Hawks sweep Lakers in softball doubleader

The Hcoking Colllege softball team ran its winning streak to eight games yesterday with a doubleheader sweep of OCCAC for Lakeland Community College, 14-6 in 5 innings and 12-4 in 6 innings.

In Game 1 Sophomore Grace Hash got things going for the Hawks with a triple to left field and would score on Makayla Ball's sac bunt. Sophomores Alessandra Mavilla and Carissa Wheeler would hit back-to-back singles and Sophomore Kristen Stromack would clear the bases with a triple to left center to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Katie Hoffa would hit a sacrifice fly to center to bring in Stromack to push the lead to 4-0 after one inning of play. In the bottom of the second the Hawks would tack on three more runs to extend the lead to 7-0 when Mavilla would get an RBI single and Stromack would hit a 2-RBI single to right field. After surrending two runs in the top of the third Hocking would strike again in the bottom half of the inning when Sophomore Chylece Cluck woud start the inning with a a triple to left and would come home on a sac bunt by sophomore Carah Mladek to give the Hawks an 8-2 lead. After Lakeland would tack on four runs in the top of the fourth Hocking would come back with two runs of their own when Stromack would get things going with a single to right. Hoffa would rip a double to left center to score Stromack, Cluck would hit a single to left that would move Hoffa to third and freshmen Sara Fattori would hit a single to center to score Hoffa to give the Hawks a 10-6 lead. In the bottom of the fifth inning Hash would get things started with a single to left, would move to second on a sac bunt by Ball and advance to third on a fly ball to center by Mavilla. Hash would then score on a single by Wheeler. Wheeler would move to third on a single by Stromack and Stromack would steal second base on the first pitch to Hoffa. Hoffa would then hit a single to Left center that would score Wheeler and Stromack to push the lead to 13-4. After Cluck would walk moving Hoffa to second, Fattori would walk it off for the Hawks scoring Hoffa from second.  Stromack earned her fifth win of the season, scattering 8 hits, striking out seven while walking just two Laker hitters.

In Game 2 after giving up two runs in the first inning, Hash lead off the bottom half of the first with a single to left and would move to second on an infield bunt single by Ball. They would move into scoring position when Mavilla would lay down a sac bunt. Hash would score on a passed ball and Ball would score on a sac fly by Wheeler to knot the score up at 2-2 after one inning of play. The Hawks would strike again in the third inning when Mavilla would lead off with a single to Left and would move to third on a single by Wheeler. Mavilla would then score on a sac fly to right by Stromack and Wheeler would come home on a double by Hoffa. Hoffa would then score on a double by Cluck and Cluck would eventually score on a passed ball to give the Hawks a 6-2 lead. The Lakers would get 2 runs in the top of the sixth to close to the gap to 6-4 going into the bottom half. The Hawks would blow the game open all with 2 outs when after an error by the Lakers and a walk, Hocking would hit five straight singles to extend the lead to 11-4 and then Freshmen Emily Hanes would then walk it off for the Hawks with a base hit to center field that would score Cluck and give Hocking the win in a six inning mercy rule. Hanes picked up the win in the circle improving her record to 7-2.

The Hawks return to action on Saturday on the road in an important OCCAC matchup at Edison State with first pitch at 1:00pm ET.