West Hartford, CT - The University of Hartford baseball team dropped its first of two home midweek games by way of an 8-5 loss to the Marist Red Foxes on Tuesday afternoon. The Hawks fall to 14-19 on the season and will now host Yale on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. at the Hartford Baseball Field.
Marist struck first with a single run in the third inning and added to that with one run in the fifth inning. Shane Kingsley started the offense with a one out single up the middle. He advanced to third on a single from Richard Curylo and scored on a throwing error after Ricky Pavone reached on a fielder's choice. After working a strike out on the lead off batter in the fifth, Hawks starter Zack Tarner gave up a double down the left field line from Mile Gallic. He took third on an infield groundout and scored on a two out infield single from Curylo.
Hartford answered by taking a 4-2 lead with all four runs coming in the bottom of the fifth inning. The first three runs came by way of a three run home run for Adam Bowser, the team leading sixth of the season for Bowser. Andy Drexel and Drew Sgro both reached base courtesy of back-to-back Marist errors, giving Bowser two runners to drive home. With two outs, Bill Perry extended the inning with a single to left field and then took third after an overthrow on a steal attempt. Perry then scored on a single to right from Matt Walker.
Marist chipped into the lead with a single run in the sixth inning. Ryan Gauck opened the inning with a double to left center field, a hit that would pay off for the Red Foxes. With runners on first and second, Kyle Meyer beat out the Hawks double play attempt allowing Gauck to go to third, only to score on the next at bat, a single to left field from Ben Henderson.
The Hawks took that run back in the bottom half of the inning, courtesy of a lead off home run to right field from Brady Stouffer. The long ball was the third home run of the season for Stouffer.
The Hawks pitching staff then gave up five runs in the top of the ninth inning on seven hits, handing the Red Foxes their 15th win of the season. Six of the Marist hits came from the first six batters with the first three going for doubles. Meyer knocked in what would be the game winning run when he doubled to left field, allowing Kyle LaHonta to score from second after pinch running for Zach Starkey who singled to reach base.
The Red Foxes relief pitcher, Brendan Chapin, sat down the final 10 Hartford batters of the game, allowing for his offense to win the game. Chapin earned his second (2-1) win of the season, while Hartford Marc Toomey suffered his third (0-3) loss allowing all five of the ninth inning runs. Tarner, who started the game, lasted 5.2 innings, allowing three runs, two of them earned on seven hits. Justin DiConzo, CJ Browne and Bob Rogers also saw relief time for Hartford.
