Erie Softball Drops Two to Hudson Valley in Hard-Fought Doubleheader

Erie battled throughout a Sunday doubleheader but came up short in both contests against Hudson Valley, falling 11-7 in the opener and 4-3 in extra innings in game two.

In the first game, Erie came out strong, jumping to an early lead in the top of the first. Haley Lerner sparked the offense with an RBI single, while Natalie Witt followed with a two-run double to make it 3-0. Erie added another run in the third after a Hudson Valley error, extending the advantage to 4-0.

The Kats continued to produce at the plate, finishing with 11 hits and drawing six walks. Witt led the way with three RBIs, while Lerner and Hailey Wisser each collected two hits. Mikayla Gallivan added patience at the plate with two walks.

Erie maintained control into the later innings, but Hudson Valley rallied in the bottom of the sixth, erupting for six runs to take an 11-7 lead and ultimately secure the win. Grace Szpylman struck out nine in the circle over 5.2 innings in the loss.

Game two was a tightly contested battle that went into extra innings. Erie again struck first, with Lerner doubling to drive in a run in the opening inning. The teams traded runs throughout, with Lerner adding another RBI in the third to give Erie a 2-1 edge.

After Hudson Valley tied the game late, the contest remained deadlocked until the eighth inning, when Hudson Valley broke through with a pair of runs to take a 4-2 lead. Erie responded with a run but couldn't complete the comeback.

Lerner paced Erie offensively in game two with two RBIs, while Witt added two hits. Defensively, Erie was flawless, committing no errors, with Ashlyn Pignone leading the way with six plays in the field.

In the circle, Amelia Potter started and allowed two runs over four innings, while Szpylman took the loss in relief.

Despite strong offensive production and solid defense throughout the day, Erie was unable to hold off Hudson Valley's late-game surges in both contests.