HARTFORD, Conn. – Trinity softball earned two victories in its final home games of the season Tuesday afternoon, sweeping the visiting University of Hartford in a non-conference doubleheader. First-year shortstop Katie Ruffer delivered back-to-back walk-off hits on the Trinity College Softball Field. The Bantams improve to 20-12 on the year, while the Hawks fall to 18-18.
What Happened – Game 1: Trinity 8, UHart 0 (5 innings)
- A four-run second inning gave the Bantams an early edge. Abby Alper's single down the left field line scored Ashleigh Lent and advanced Kellie Schroffner to second and Mikayla O'Brien to third keeping the bases loaded with two outs. Back-to-back singles from Emily Goddard and Katie Ruffer brought in three more runs—one RBI from Goddard and two from Ruffer—to make it 4-0 heading into the third.
- In the fourth, Goddard—batting third in the inning after Schroffner walked and Alper flew out—crushed a triple to right-center, scoring Schroffner. Ruffer followed with a double to bring Goddard home.
- In the bottom of the fifth, Ruffer sealed the game with a walk-off double down the right field line, scoring Goddard and Schroffner to trigger the run rule and secure an 8-0 win.
- Kaysen Shikar earned the win, pitching two innings while allowing three hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Heather Roth relieved Shikar in the third, allowing one hit and one walk while striking out two.
Inside the Numbers – Game 1
- Runs: Trinity 8 | UHart 0
- Hits: Trinity 8 | UHart 4
- Stolen Bases: Trinity 1 | UHart 2
- Errors: Trinity 1 | UHart 1
Pitching:
What Happened – Game 2: Trinity 4, UHart 3
- The Hawks built a 3-0 lead with an RBI double in the first, a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and another sacrifice fly in the sixth.
- Trinity got on the board in the sixth when senior Lizzie Nelson doubled to left, scoring Ruffer from second to cut the deficit to 3-1.
- In the seventh, Mikayla O'Brien led off with a triple to left-center, prompting a pitching and catching change by UHart. Annika Haley followed with an RBI single to right-center, scoring O'Brien and making it 3-2.
- Schroffner then drew a walk after a lengthy at-bat. With runners on first and second and no outs, Goddard laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners into scoring position.
- Ruffer delivered once again. After a nine-pitch at-bat, she drove a double to the left-center fence, scoring Haley and Schroffner to complete the comeback and secure the 4-3 walk-off victory.
Inside the Numbers – Game 2
- Runs: Trinity 4 | UHart 3
- Hits: Trinity 8 | UHart 8
- Stolen Bases: Trinity 2 | UHart 2
- Errors: Trinity 1 | UHart 0
Pitching:
- W: Heather Roth (Trinity), 3-2
- L: Carly Mayhood (UHart), 7-8
Up Next
The Bantams wrap up their regular season this weekend in Lewiston, Maine, against host Bates College on Saturday, May 2, in a NESCAC doubleheader. The results will determine Trinity's seeding for the conference tournament, hosted by Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.
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