West Hartford, CT ? The University of Hartford baseball team played back and forth with in-state rival Fairfield, but came out on the short end with a 13-11 loss at the Hartford Baseball Field on campus. The Hawks drop to 10-28 on the season, while Fairfield improves to 13-24 overall.
Rookie right hander Chris Greiner suffered the loss, his sixth loss of the season, 2-6 overall. The Hawks used nine pitchers in the game, with Brendan Floyd starting and going three innings. He allowed three runs (all earned) on five hits. Dan Gallagher picked up his first victory of the season (1-1) pitching the final three and one-third innings in relief.
The Hawks bats were led by Ryan Crowley who finished with three hits and five RBI. All three of his hits went for extra bases, two for doubles and a two-run home run over the right field fence. Also adding three hits for the Hawks was Brady Stouffer and Bill Perry. Perry and Adam Bowser each had two RBI's.
Fairfield struck early with a pair of runs in the opening stanza. After forcing the first batter into an infield pop out, the Hawks allowed a walk and double down the right field line. After Floyd struck out Peter Allen for the first of the game, Brian Rudolph singled up the middle scoring both runners. Floyd would leave one runner stranded when he forced Dave Brizzolara into an infield groundout to end the inning.
Hartford answered right back scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning, including the first three batters who all reached safely. Brady Stouffer started the inning with a single up the middle. Greg Cinelli then reached on a fielder's choice with Ben Sobocinski reaching base on an error, loading the bases. Bowser knocked the first run in on a routine groundout in the infield, with Crowley's double down the right field line knocking in two runners. Erik Price then sent a single to center, which allowed Crowley to score from second putting Hartford ahead 4-2.
Fairfield put one more notch on the board in the second inning when a fielder's chance from Patrick Hoban led to a run. Hoban stole second base before scoring on a single to left field for Philip Espinosa. Hartford added two more runs in the third inning. Sobocinski led off the inning with a single to left field and after stealing second would score on a double to center for Bowser. Bowser then scored when Crowley sent his second double of the game to center field on the next at bat. The run batted in was the third of the game for Crowley.
A single for Hoban to lead off the fourth inning led to a run when he scored on a double play ball from Albie DiSimmone, putting the Stags within two runs, 6-4. Fairfield took the lead back in the top of the sixth inning, scoring three runs. Espinosa led off the inning with an infield single and DiSimmone followed that with a single to left. Both runners would scored a double down the right field line for Allen, who then scored on the next at bat, a double to right center for Rudolph.
Hartford took the lead back in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs, all with two outs. Stouffer started the Hawks run with his third single of the game, this one to left field. He then stole second and scored on Cinelli's single to center field, that tying the score at seven. After Sobocinski walked, Perry sent a double screaming down the right field line, allowing Cinelli to score from second and Sobocinksi from first to re-take the lead.
Fairfield completed the fourth lead change of the game with a four-run eighth inning to give themselves a two-run cushion. Matt Tiagwad scored the first run of the inning after reaching base on a walk. He took second on a single to left field for Jason Rago, with both scoring on a double to right centerfield for Allen. Allen would then score as part of a two-run single to right field from Bill Rafferty.
The Stags added two insurance runs in the top of the ninth inning. A lead off walk would provide the runner for the first run, scoring on a double to right for Tiagwad. He then scored after stealing third and scoring on a sacrifice to right. The Hawks would chip into the lead with a two-run homer from Crowley in the bottom of the ninth but would get no closer than a two-run deficit.
Hartford will next host Albany in the first game of a four-game America East series with the Great Danes on Friday at 3:00 p.m. at the Hartford Baseball Field.
