Las Cruces, NM - The University of Hartford baseball team dropped both games of a Saturday doubleheader against the New Mexico State Aggies. NM State picked up a 12-2 win in the first game and scored a 6-3 victory in the nightcap, guaranteeing the series victory. Hartford falls to 0-3 on the season, while the Aggies are 10-1 overall.
Hartford's only two runs in the early game came as long balls off the bats of Brady Stouffer and Rodger Wilmot. Stouffer scored his first home run of the season in the top of the first inning as the lead off batter. Wilmot's home run, the first of the sophomore's collegiate career, came in the sixth inning with one out.
Hartford's 1-0 lead in the top of the first was the only of the game, as New Mexico State hit hard early with four runs in the first inning, three in the second inning and an additional two in the third inning to go up 9-1 in the seven inning game. The Aggies put two more runs up in the bottom of the fifth and scored a final run in the seventh to guarantee the victory.
In the night cap, the Hawks again took an early lead, going up 3-0 with two runs in the second and a single run in the third. The first run of the game came as a home run for Andy Drexel, the third player on the day to hit one out of the park. The final run of the second inning came with two outs as Drew Sgro reached on a single to center field. An error on the second baseman allowed him to take third and he scored on a Stouffer single to center on the next at bat.
Hartford's final run came after a lead off walk put Ben Sobocinski aboard. He toom second on Mike Amendola's hit batter and third on a single to right from Drexel. He then scored on the fourth at bat of the inning, what turned into a run scoring double play.
New Mexico State wasn't going to led the lead last, taking their only needed lead of the game with a five run in the bottom of the third, including four of a grand slam from Nate Shaver. The Aggies added an insurance run in the fourth, manufacturing the run of a single, stolen base and RBI double from Ben Harty.
Hartford's starting pitchers suffered the losses in both games, Sobocinski in the first and Kyle Perry in the nightcap. Neither made it more than two-and-two-third innings, before being pulled for relief pitchers. Bob Rogers saw quality time in relief of Perry in the second game, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing just one run on five hits, while fanning seven batters, a season high for the Hawks pitching staff.
Offensively, the Hawks were led by Amendola who finished 3-of-6 at the plate and Drexel who finished 3-of-7. Stouffer also had a good two-gamer, with two hits in eight at bats, scoring a run and knocking in two.
Hartford and New Mexico State will close out the series with a single game on Sunday afternoon. The first pitch is scheduled for 3:05 p.m. eastern time.
