The University of Hartford softball team will need to win two games on May 4 to advance to the Conference of New England (CNE) championship pod. The Hawks, seeded fifth, are making their first appearance in the CNE playoffs and will face sixth-seeded Wentworth Institute of Technology at 1:00 PM. The winner will then play fourth-seeded Western New England University for a spot in the semifinals.
This playoff run is significant for Hartford, as it marks their first postseason appearance since joining the conference. The team finished with an 11-9 record in conference play and performed well at home but struggled on the road. Their offense has been key to success, averaging over seven runs per game in victories but only three in losses.
Freshman Alina Weaver led Hartford’s offense this season with a .412 batting average and strong contributions across multiple categories. Senior Gia Miccio enters the playoffs with a 17-game hitting streak and posted a .389 average during the regular season. Sophomore Katrina Baran contributed consistently as well, leading the team with 13 multi-hit games.
Power hitting has also played an important role for Hartford, as Alyssa Edwards led with six home runs and 29 RBIs while Adelie Beebe added five homers and Anita Farkash contributed four more. Pitching duties have been handled primarily by senior Carly Mayhood, who recorded a 4.42 ERA over 84 innings, supported by sophomore Ella Zobel and junior Gracie Hopkins.
Wentworth enters having won six of its last seven games and is led offensively by Lauren Trostel (.409 average), Kyla Igawa (.342), Brianna Miller (.337), and Quincy Bolduc (.343). Pitcher Julie Schriver has thrown over ninety-six innings for Wentworth this year with a 4.43 ERA.
Western New England awaits the winner on its home field after finishing third-best in conference ERA (3.19). Offensively, Katelyn Bailey leads WNE at .389 while Riley Kane anchors both pitching (2.41 ERA) and hitting (.353).
The Conference of New England was reconstituted from its previous form as Commonwealth Coast Conference in 2024; it now comprises eleven full members across New England competing in twenty-one sports.
