West Hartford, CT ? The University of Hartford baseball team dropped the first game of a double header with the Maine Black Bears on Sunday afternoon, 2-1, giving up the game-winning run on an error in the top of the seventh inning. The Hawks decisions go to relievers Bob Rogers (loss, 1-4) and Cory Beahm (win, 1-2). Hartford stands at 6-16 on the season after the doubleheader and 1-3 in America East action, while Maine is now 18-13 overall and 1-1 in conference play.
In the opener, the Hawks put the first run of the game on the board in the second inning, made possible by a Black Bears error. Hartford pitcher Ben Sobocinski started the inning with a single to center field. He took second when Andrew Siano reached on a throwing error on third baseman Jarrett Lukas. A one-out walk to Rodger Wilmot loaded the bases, before a second-straight walk scored Sobocinski, giving the Hawks the early lead. Hartford continued to threaten in the inning, but Kevin Scanlon struck out Brady Stouffer and forced Simon Kudernatsch to fly out to center field, leaving the bases loaded.
Maine tied the game in the top of the fifth, making a leadoff single through the right side pay off. Myckie Lugbauer opened the inning with his first hit of the game. He advanced around the horn on two wild pitches and was able to score on a fielder's choice during Lukas' at bat, when the Hawks were unable to turn a double play to get out of the inning.
Maine took its first lead of the game, made possible by two Hartford errors in the sixth inning. A fielding error on Hawks shortstop Stouffer, allowed Tony Patene to reach. He then went to third on a single to left center from Joey Martin. A second error in the inning, this time in right field, led to the go ahead run, with Danny Menendez earning the RBI.
In the second game, the Hawks again took an early lead, this time scoring four runs in the second inning. Sobocinski led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. He then advanced to third on a Victor Santana double to left center, putting two runners in scoring position. Sobocinski then scored on an infield groundout. A walk to Drew Sgro and a single from Siano loaded the bases, which led to a three-run double from Stouffer, putting Hartford up four.
Maine scored its first run in the fourth inning. Kevin McAvoy reached base for the second-straight time on a fielder's choice and scored two batters later. On the next at bat, McAvoy took second on a single through the left side and then scored on a second-straight single, this one to center, from Lukas.
Hartford took that run right back as Kudernatch led off the fifth with a solo home run, his first of the season and the third of the sophomore's career. Maine scored its second run in the seventh. Lukas began the offense with a double down the left field line and then stole third as Joey Martin was walked, putting runners at the corners. Lukas then scored on an infield single from Menendez.
The Black Bears tied things up with one hit, a three run home run off the bat of Kyle Stilphen in the eighth inning. Stilphen scored Ian Leisenheimer and Justin Leisenheimer who both had hits to reach. Ian Leisenheimer reached on a single to right center, while his twin brother Justin Leisenheimer reached on a double to center.
Hartford manufactured a single run in the seventh, to regain the lead, 6-5. Sobocinski led off the inning with a single to right field and then took second on a well played sacrifice bunt from Santana. Sgro then sent a two-out single into shallow left field and the Hawks gambled, sending Sobocinski home from second base, with the throw home off the mark allowing him to score the go-ahead run.
Maine tied the game for the second time in the top of the ninth, making a leadoff single from Martin payoff. Martin advanced around the bases on walks to Cather and Ian Leisenheimer, which loaded the bases for Lugbauer. Lugbauer smacked a hard hit ball to short stop, which led to an out at second and an out at the plate as Cather attempted to score on the double play throw to first, but was thrown out at the plate.
Neither team threatened much in the 10th. In the 11th, the Black Bears saw their only runner come on a double down the left field line from Menendez, but that came with two outs and Hawks reliever Beahm forced Cather to pop up just outside the line at third base to end the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Hartford began with a leadoff walk for Siano. Stouffer advanced Siano to second on a well placed sacrifice bunt for the first out of the inning, while Black Bear reliever Alejandro Balsinde forced Kudernatsch to pop up to third. After intentionally walking Amendola, putting runners at first and second, Drexel sent his first hit of the game, after going 0-5 prior to the hit, up the middle, allowing Siano to score from second for the walk-off hit.
Hartford and Maine will close out the four-game series with a doubleheader on Monday. The first game is scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.
