WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Holy Cross softball team swept through Hartford in a doubleheader winning the first game 6-3 before taking a 7-1 contest in game two Tuesday afternoon in non-conference action at the Hartford Softball Field.

During game one, in the bottom of the second inning with one out, Holy Cross (11-20) senior Kelly Nelson punched out Hartford (11-15) Emma Curry swinging for her 500th career strikeout. Nelson currently has 508 career strikeouts and trails the program leader, Genoa Grosch's mark of 579 by 71. Nelson also set a single-season career-high with her eighth win of the campaign. 
 

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Congratulations to Kelly Nelson on becoming the 2?nd player in program history to reach 500 career strikeouts! #GoCrossGo pic.twitter.com/KiqZr2yIjg
— Holy Cross Softball (@HCrossSB) April 5, 2022
 

 
In game two, sophomore Claire McCann had a career game going 3-for-4 at the dish with a personal-best four RBI in the 7-1 win.
 
GAME ONE: CRUSADERS 6, HAWKS 3 (FINAL):

IN THE CIRCLE:

• Kelly Nelson: W (8-11), 7.0 innings, complete game, 12 strikeouts, three earned runs.
• Julianna Kocenski: L (6-6), 5.0 innings, six strikeouts, four earned runs.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Sophomore Jessica Mott: 2-for-2, two doubles, run scored.
• Senior Bailey Chavez: 1-for-3, two runs scored, walk.
• Sophomore Megan Yurchick: 1-for-4, home run, two RBI, run scored.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The Crusaders had a big top of the first loading the bases and scoring the first run of the contest via a four pitch walk. With one down, McCann lofted a sacrifice fly to left to plate another run making it 2-0. Kocenski stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout as Holy Cross led 2-0 early.
• Nelson struck out the side in the bottom of the second and seven of the first nine batters she faced.
• Nelson then worked around a leadoff double in the fourth to break up the perfect game and a first and third one out situation by amassing three more strikeouts keeping the Crusaders ahead 2-0.
• Mott began the top of the fifth with a double into the left center field gap. With two outs, Yurchick bashed a two-run homer over the fence in left to expand the Holy Cross lead to 4-0.
• Nelson's 13.2 innings scoreless streak ended as Ally Beck homered to left in the bottom of the fifth to cut into the lead at 4-1. An RBI single off the bat of Haley Cassidy through the left side made it a two run game, 4-2.
• Hartford manufactured another run in the bottom of the sixth with two outs as Samantha Nagel doubled cutting the deficit to 4-3.
• A couple of Hartford fielding miscues helped Holy Cross tack on two very important insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

 
GAME TWO: CRUSADERS 7, HAWKS 1 (FINAL):

IN THE CIRCLE:

• Megan Yurchick: W (3-9), 7.0 innings, complete game, seven strikeouts, three hits allowed, one earned run.
• Julianna Kocenski: L (6-7), 4.0 innings, three earned runs, nine hits allowed, one strikeout.

STEPPING TO THE PLATE:

• Claire McCann: 3-for-4, four RBI, double.
• Megan Yurchick: 2-for-4, RBI, run scored.
• Senior Jessie Nagel: 1-for-4, RBI, run scored.
• Senior Erin Bengston: 1-for-3, run scored, walk.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• In the top of the second, Yurchick doubled down the left field as the first batter of the new inning. Bengston followed with a single through the left side of the infield. With no outs, McCann singled up the middle plating the first run for Holy Cross. A sharply hit lineout and an inning ending double play concluding the Crusader threat.
• In the fifth, a Nagel single brought home a run to increase the lead to 3-0. Yurchick kept the line moving with the bases jacked singling moving the margin to 4-0. McCann continued her hot hitting clearing the bases with a double down the right field line expanding the lead to 7-0.
• A Haley Cassidy double to center in the sixth was the lone run for the hosts.

DUE UP:

• The Crusaders (11-20, 3-3 PL) travel to Lehigh (12-12, 4-0 PL) this weekend for three Patriot League games starting Saturday at noon.

 
FOLLOW THE CRUSADERS 
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