Finishing the season on a downward turn, the Pirates' softball team lost a doubleheader on Wednesday to the Stony Brook Seawolves, 6-2 and 2-0. The loss extends to Hall's losing streak to seven consecutive games and puts the team at 19-31 (8-11) as the regular season ends.
The season is most likely over for the softball team as they currently sit No. 11 in the standings.
In order to advance to the Big East Tournament, the Hall needs Rutgers, the University of South Florida, and Connecticut, seeded eighth, ninth, and tenth respectively, to lose their remaining three Big East games.
Rutgers plays the sixth placed Pittsburgh with UConn playing the third place team Louisville. USF is the only team of the three to play a team lower in the standing than themselves, in last place Georgetown.
In the final game of the regular season, the Seawolves took the lead in the third inning, scoring both of their two runs. With two outs, Stony Brook's senior Vicki Kavitsky scored the game's first run off junior Brijette Martin's double, who would also score.
The best chance for the Hall was with the bases loaded in the top of the second inning.
In the first game, the Hall fell behind from the start with Stony Brook scoring four runs in the bottom of the inning. The first five batters reached base for the Seawolves, accounting for the four runs.
The Pirates did not record a hit until the fifth inning when Gaffey hit an RBI double to left center for the Hall's first run. In the seventh inning, freshman Kirby Groves hit a home run for the Pirates' second hit and second run.
In the final Big East series of the year, the softball team got swept by the visiting Providence Friars, over the weekend.
On Senior Day, the Hall dropped the final game of the series and the Big East season, 2-1.
The loss dropped the Pirates out of the eight and final qualifying spot for the Big East Tournament.
In the top of the fourth inning senior Ashley Forsyth gave up the only two runs she would allow on a two run home run to left field.
The Pirates responded in the fifth inning with junior Michelle Reed scoring on a wild pitch to put the Hall down one.
Down to their last out in the game, junior Jamie Gates came just short of tying the game when her hit bounced off the wall for a single. The following batter, Bennett grounded out to end the game.
"We were leaving runners on base all series," Bennett said. "We would be able to get people on but couldn't score them."
The series opened with a double header on Saturday with the team being shut out in both games, 2-0 and 6-0, respectively.
In the second game, the Friars jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first and added another in the second making the score 3-0. That was all Providence needed as the Hall was limited to only one hit.
"Our pitching kept us in the games," Vander May said. "The defense also played great but we just couldn't get the runs we needed."
To open the series, the teams played a close game with the Friars pulling out the 2-0 victory.
Both of Providence's runs were scored in the third inning on an RBI double and RBI single.
The Pirates were able to get runners on base in five of the seven innings but unable to get a run across the plate.
Sophomore Laura Canulli got three hits including a double to lead the Pirates' offense.
Stephen Valenti can be reached at stephen.valenti@student.shu.edu.
Gabrielle Kiger can be reached at gabrielle.kiger@student.shu.edu.
