CONTACT: Adam Sopris, a.sopris@hvcc.edu, 518-629-7898 or 518-416-2137
FOR RELEASE: Immediate, Tuesday, May 10, 2022
The Hudson Valley Community College softball program (19-10) closed out the 2022 regular season with a 16-game win streak after they went on the road to sweep Mohawk Valley on Tuesday afternoon in Utica, NY.
GAME ONE: Hudson Valley 5, Mohawk Valley 3
The opening game of the series featured a pitching duel, which included all three of the Vikings regular starters, beginning with Carly Gemmett. Gemmett tossed 3.2 innings and gave up two runs on three hits and struck out eight batters. Miranda Peck entered the game in relief and shutdown the Hawks, allowing only one run on four hits. Peck's only run came in the bottom of the seventh. Shealynn Peckowitz entered the circle to earn the save after pitching 0.2 innings, which included zero hits and one strike out.
Peckowitz also led the Vikings offense with a team-best three hits. She also scored a pair of runs and drove in one RBI in four plate appearances. Peckowitz broke open the 2-2 tie in the top of the seventh inning as she connected on a 2-1 pitch for a double down the right field line, scoring Skyler Burns for the go ahead run.
The next batter, Abigayle Campbell then connected for an RBI double to score Peckowitz and push the Vikings lead up to 4-2. Following a pair of wild pitches, Campbell was able to cross the plate for Hudson Valley's fifth and important insurance run to give Peck and Peckowitz room to work with in the bottom of the seventh inning.
GAME TWO: Hudson Valley 11, Mohawk Valley 8
In the final game of the day, the Vikings had to come from behind to defeat the Hawks after they allowed five runs in the top of the first inning. However, the Vikings potent offense and quality pitching quickly erased the deficit and they slowly extended its lead to as much as 11-6 with the Hawks heading to the plate in the top of the seventh inning.
Hudson Valley did grab one run in the second on an Alyssa Smith single to score Katie Mannis, giving the Vikings their first run of the game. The very next inning, Hudson Valley wasted no time to completely erase the four-run deficit as they exploded for a five-run third inning to go up 6-5 on the Hawks.
In the third, Maryssa Sano doubled on a 1-2 count, scoring two runs, Campbell and Bucciero, who reached base with a walk and a hit by pitch, respectively. Sano's double cleared the bases and she advanced to third on a single by Gabrielle Castiglione. With the Vikings trailing 5-3, Mannis out the Vikings up with one swing of the bat as she sent a line drive to deep centerfield for her third home run of the season and the Vikings now led the Hawks 6-5.
Hudson Valley put a four-spot on the board in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bucciero started the sixth inning rally with a leadoff single to right field. Following a walk to Castiglione, Mannis was the hero again as she connected for an RBI single to center, scoring Bucciero. Peckowitz also had a big two RBI single in the sixth inning, scoring Mannis and Smith, and the Vikings entered the final inning leading 11-6 on a tough Hawks program.
The four runs in the sixth inning proved to be valuable as the Hawks attempted a late inning comeback, scoring two runs in the eighth and they had the winning run at the plate. Carly Gemmett earned the save as she pitched the final 2.1 innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
UP NEXT:
The 2022 NJCAA Region 3 postseason seeding meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, May 11 as the Vikings will find out if they have secured a top-4 seed for this weekend's sub-regional matchups. If the Vikings secure a top-4 seed, they will host the best-of-three series on Saturday on the campus of Hudson Valley Community College.