West Hartford, CT - The Hartford baseball team dropped its final conference game of the series 16-3 to the Maine Black Bears, dropping the four-game series by a 3-1 record. The Hawks drop to 13-33 overall and close out conference play with a 9-14 record. Maine improves to 23-33 overall and 11-9 in conference action. The Hawks will play a non-conference match-up with Rhode Island at 3:00 p.m on Tuesday.
The Hawks starting pitcher, freshman Kyle Perry suffered his seventh loss of the season, lasting five and one-third innings. Coach Jeff Calcaterra used four more pitchers in the game; Adam Flaherty, Bob Rogers, John Coury, Jon Casey.
Perry finished the game allowing four runs (all earned) on seven hits and struck out three batters. Flaherty went one and two-third innings giving up three runs (all earned) on three hits and recorded one strike out. Rogers pitched one third inning in relief and allowed seven runs, all earned. Case came in to finish the eighth inning and didn't allow a hit. Casey closed the game pitching the ninth inning allowing two runs (both earned) on one hit and a walk.
The Hawks bats were led by Brady Stouffer, Bill Perry and Ben Sobocinski who all finished with three hits. Stouffer added an RBI on a solo home run over the left field fence, off the Maine starter Alejandro Balsinde. Sobocinski finished with three singles, two up the middle and one in the infield. The Hawks finished with 15 total hits, but left 11 runners on base, with the Black Bears converting three double plays.
The Hawks struck first, putting a notch in the scoreboard in the first inning when a lead off hit from Stouffer led to a run. He would steal second base and then take third on an infield ground out. Stouffer then scored on a single to left field from Bill Perry. Hawks starter, Kyle Perry, pitched three scoreless innings, allowing three hits in that span, all singles.
The Black Bears then made their first marks on the scoreboard with a two-run bomb, the first of two, from Kevin McAvoy, in the fourth inning. Hartford wasn't going to let that lead last, tying the score in the bottom half of the inning. Sobocinski led off the inning with a single up the middle and took second on a single to third from Perry. Adam Bowser put down a well placed sacrifice bunt to the pitcher, advancing Sobocinski and Perry. Ryan Crowley then sent a single to right center field scoring Sobocinski from third.
The Black Bears then took a two run lead off of solo home runs from Joel Barrett and McAvoy in the sixth inning. Maine then put the game away with a nine run eighth inning, which featured seven hits, including a three run blast from Myckie Lugbauer, his second of the weekend series.
Matt McGraw put two more runs on the board in the ninth inning when he sent a two run home run over the left center field fence for the fifth home run of the game for the Black Bears.
