NEW YORK, N.Y. -The Sarah Lawrence softball team fell to the Hunter College Hawks by a pair of 11-3 scorelines on Friday afternoon. The Gryphons took the lead in game one with a three-run third inning before Hunter regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning before holding on for an afternoon-opening win.

Notable Performers

• Caileigh Koenig tossed eight total innings, forcing 15 groundouts while reaching base four times
• Shirin Pechefsky threw the remaining 1.2 innings, striking out one and allowing only one earned run
• Kyra Johnsen totaled three hits while scoring two of the team's six runs

How it Happened

Both teams started the day with a scoreless frame, as an Isabella Boissonnault single in the top of the second would be SLC's first hit of the day. The Hawks responded with two hits of their own in the bottom half of the frame, including a two-RBI single to put the hosts ahead. The Gryphons rallied in the top of the third, stringing together three hits to plate three runs and take a lead. The inning started with a single by Olivia Richard, giving SLC a baserunner with the top of the order coming to the plate. Johnsen earned her first hit of the day and moved Richard to third base before finding herself at second to give the Gryphons a pair of runners in scoring position. After a double play that caught out Richard at third, the Gryphons got a clutch double from Koenig on a 3-1 count that plated Johnsen and got the team on the board. An error by the Hawks allowed Malia Rode to reach base and brought Koenig around to score. Another Hunter error would allow Boissonnault to reach base and bring Rode around for the go-ahead score, putting the Gryphons ahead 3-2. An inning-ending strikeout would bring the Hawks up to bat with two, three and four due up for the hosts.

After a groundout to start the inning, three straight hits plated a pair of runs and allowed the hosts to regain the lead before a strikeout and groundout ended the inning with the score sitting at 3-4. An inning-ending double play in the bottom of the fourth kept the Hawks from adding to their lead and the Gryphons returned to the plate trailing by just one run. After going down in order, the visitors were forced to hold the Hawks at bay once again. This time, the hosts started the frame with three straight hits before a pair of SLC errors allowed the Hawks to jump ahead 8-3. An RBI double and RBI single moments later extended the lead to 10-3, putting the Hawks in control and one run away from ending the game after five. An inning-ending popup kept the Gryphons alive, bringing the visitors up to the plate in the top of the sixth with a chance to answer. Boissonnault and Miriam Kanter-Goodell each reached base on Hunter errors, but the Hawks got an inning-ending strikeout to keep the score at a seven-point margin, looking to tack on another and end the game early. A leadoff groundout would give the Gryphons some hope, but a triple by Hunter put a runner only 60 feet away before a next-pitch single drove in the winning run and started the day with a win for the Hawks.

In game two, the Hawks put together four hits in the opening frame, plating a single score to get ahead early. A Kanter-Goodell single in the second would give SLC a baserunner, but the first year would be stranded as the Hawks returned to the plate just one batter later. A leadoff single would eventually come around to score for Hunter, extending the lead to 2-0 before an inning-ending groundout kept the damage limited. A double by Johnsen in the third would give the Gryphons a scoring opportunity, but the junior would be stranded as the Hawks got out of the inning. Four hits, including a two-out home run, would increase the Hunter lead to 7-0 and once again put the Hawks one run away from a shortened win. Rode did her part to extend the day for SLC, with a leadoff single before stealing second and advancing to third on a passed ball. Boissonnault walked before Claire Rollins reached on an error, bringing Rode in and moving Boissonnault into scoring position. After a strikeout, Annabelle Abruzzo reached, moving Rollins to second as SLC's catcher was caught out at third base for the second out of the inning. A strikeout would strand a pair, but the Gryphons got on the board and trailed by six heading into the bottom of the fourth. The Hawks answered with a two-RBI single in the bottom half to extend the lead to eight, in position to end the game after five innings. Johnsen doubled to lead off the fifth before a Pechefsky single moved the leadoff batter just 60 feet away. Pechefsky would get caught on the basepaths before back-to-back walks by Koenig and Rode loaded the bases for SLC. A wild pitch brought Johnsen around to score while Keonig and Rode both moved into scoring position, looking to make a push and extend the game. One batter later, another wild pitch brought Koenig home and moved Rode to third, bringing the score to 3-9. Rollins would reach base via a walk, but an inning-ending groundout ended the threat and sent the Hawks back to the plate with a six-run lead. The hosts tacked on a pair of scores in the bottom of the frame to pull ahead by eight and claim another 11-3 victory.

Up Next

The Gryphons (0-8) will return to action on Sunday as they kick off their home schedule with a doubleheader against Yeshiva University. The games will begin at noon eastern time while also marking the beginning of Skyline play for the Gryphons.