West Hartford, CT - The University of Hartford baseball team fell to 1-11 on the season, dropping its home opener 8-4 to the Boston College Eagles. BC rallied for four runs in the top of the ninth to regain a lead the Hawks had taken away in the previous inning following a three-run double from Ben Sobocinski. Boston College improves to 14-6 with the victory.
Sobocinski sent his second hit of the game into the right field gap scoring Simon Kudernatsch, Mike Amendola and Drew Sgro, who were all on base due to walks. Sobocinski's hit came off of Chris Kowalski, who was one of three pitchers used in the eighth inning by Boston College.
The Hawks had a couple of chances early in the game to put runs on the board. After giving up a run in the top of the first inning, the Hawks had Andrew Siano on third with one out but couldn't manufacture the run. Siano was tagged out at home after running on contact on a ball that didn't leave the infield. The Hawks again had a chance to score in the second after a lead off single from Sobocinski led to him in scoring position with no outs. He advanced to third on a wild pitch with one out, but was stranded after an infield groundout and a strikeout, one of nine in the game for Boston College starter Pat Dean.
Dean pitched the first seven innings for the Eagles, allowing one unearned run on four hits and walked only one batter. Kowalski was credited with the win for Boston College. He faced just two batters in the eighth and did not allow a run on one hit. The Hawks loss went to Cory Beahm, his second of the season. Beahm pitched one-third of an inning but allowed all four of the Eagles ninth inning runs on four hits, two of which were doubles.
Beahm forced the first batter in the ninth, Brad Zapenas into an infield ground out. He then allowed four-straight hits, which led to the first two runs of the inning. Andrew Smith came in and closed out the innings allowing one run to score on a sacrifice fly and the second on a double, his only hit allowed in three batters.
The Hawks were shut out of any ninth inning comeback after the Eagles closer Mike Belfiore came on to finish out the game. He sat the Hawks down in order in the ninth, securing Boston College's 14th victory of the season.
Sobocinski led the Hawks with two of the team's five hits. He also had three RBI in four total at bats. Adding hits for Hartford was Siano, Amendola and Rodger Wilmot.
The Hawks welcome the Massachusetts Minutemen to West Hartford tomorrow for the second of four home dates this week. The Hawks and Minutemen are scheduled for a 3:00 first pitch.
