Fairfield, CT – Junior Nicole Sidor (West Vancouver, BC) recorded a homerun in both games of Sacred Heart's double header sweep of Hartford Wednesday afternoon.  However, her second long ball made history, tying her for the most homeruns by a Pioneer in a single season.   Sidor's 11 homeruns is the program's new division I record.  Senior Liz Tsipouras (Simi Valley, CA) also went deep in game one, tying Sacred Heart's career homerun record at the division I level with 22 over her four years.

Hartford (9-41) jumped onto the scoreboard in the top of the first inning of the opening contest as Kate Wacyk tripled home Amber Andrews, who leadoff the frame with a walk, for the game's first run.  The Hawks extended their lead to 3-0 on a two-run single up the middle from Chelsey Mooney.  However, Mooney was tagged out to end the inning as SHU catcher Lisa Dean (Fairfield, CT) made a strong throw to second following the relay.

Sacred Heart (21-32) cut into the deficit in the bottom of the second as Tsipouras launched her milestone solo homerun over the left center field fence, her seventh round tripper of the season.  Taylor Lane (Lisbon, CT) started the game in the circle for SHU and faced a bases loaded, two out jam in the third inning.  However, the left-handed hurler got the last batter she would face, Erica Phelps, to ground out to keep her team in the game.

The Pioneers would take their first lead of the game on the strength of Sidor's tenth homer of the year. Jade Bowins (Frederick, MD) and Melissa Tobin (Hudson, MA) set the table with back-to-back singles.  Sidor then ripped the second pitch she saw over the left field wall to put SHU on top, 4-3.

Freshman Kacie Wentworth tossed four innings of shutout relief to pick up her second victory of 2012.  Third baseman Kirsten Savage (Harrington Park, NJ) turned a sharp line drive into an inning ending double in the sixth as SHU closed in on its third straight non-conference victory.  Wentworth allowed just one hit and struck out a pair to seal the Pioneers 4-3 triumph in game one.

Hartford grabbed the early advantage for the second straight game, manufacturing a run in the first inning.  Andrews leadoff with a single to left and stole second base before being sacrificed to third.  Wacyk lifted a sacrifice fly that allowed Andrews to scamper home with the game's first tally.

Sacred Heart leveled the score at 1-1 in its half of the first inning on a Nikki Surkes (Brightwaters, NY) RBI single.  However, Hawks starter Ana Alberti was able to escape any further damage despite the Pioneers loading the bases with one out.  SHU grabbed the lead in the bottom of the third on a Justine Sibthrop (Santa Clarita, CA) triple into the left center field gap.  Tobin sprinted around the base paths from first after starting the inning with a single up the middle.

Sidor, the SHU starting pitcher in game two, gave herself an insurance run in the fifth inning with her record tying solo homerun.   The Pioneers also added another marker in the sixth inning as Annie Dreher (Saugus, CA) supplied a sacrifice fly to bring home Surkes.  Sidor was dominant in the circle, striking out ten Hawks en route to her 15th victory of the year as the Pioneers earned the sweep, 4-1, in the nightcap.

The pair of victories concludes the SHU softball team's 2012 season that saw Sacred Heart University open up the brand new Pioneer Park as well as the retirement of long-time Assistant Coach Vicky White.