EAST HARTFORD, Conn. - The University of Hartford baseball team split a doubleheader with Binghamton in the America East opener for both teams on Friday afternoon at Ray McKenna Field.
The Hawks picked up a 6-3 win in game one before falling 8-7 in extra-innings. Hartford moved to 6-13 overall and 1-1 in America East play with the split while Binghamton went to 10-9 and 1-1.
In game one, Scott Roy (2-2) picked up his second win of the season as he held the Bearcats to three runs on eight hits while striking out 11. Jeff Swedberg came on for the ninth and retired the side in order to earn his first save of the season.
Binghamton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth when Jamie Boyer led off with a solo homer to right field. However, the Hawks took advantage of an error in the bottom of the inning and scored three runs to move in front 3-1. Hartford added three more in the third, two of which came on a Josh Topp double, as the Hawks extended their lead to 6-1 after six innings.
The Bearcats cut the lead to 6-3 on a two-run homer by Joe Costello in the eighth but it wasn't enough as the Hawks held on for the three-run win.
In game two, Binghamton scored the first four runs and led 4-0 after four innings. The Hawks answered with three in the fifth on a two-run double by Ron Acabbo and an RBI single by Ryan Cuscovitch to cut Binghamton's lead to one. Acabbo's double, the 40th of his career, moved him into a third-place tie with Earl Synder on the all-time doubles list at Hartford.
Acabbo dramatically swung the momentum back in Hartford's favor with a two-out grand slam homer to right center in the sixth to put the Hawks up 7-4 heading into the seventh inning.
Binghamton began the seventh with two consecutive singles before Brendon Hitchcock launched a three-run homer to straight away center field and the game went to extra innings.
The Bearcats scored the winning run in the eighth when Whitney Powell's double plated pinch runner Junior Mejia.
Swedberg (2-4) took the loss in relief for Hartford. He allowed one run on one hit while facing five batters in the eighth. Starter Jarrett Stawarz allowed six earned runs on nine hits while striking out 12 over seven innings.
Acabbo finished the game 2-for-5 with six RBI to lead the Hawks offensively.
Hartford wraps up its three-game series against Binghamton tomorrow with a nine-inning game at McKenna Field beginning at noon.
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