West Hartford, CT - The University of Hartford baseball team dropped both games of their regular season doubleheader finale at the Hartford Baseball Field on Saturday. The Hawks dropped the first game by a 3-15 score and then lost the second game by a 6-10 score. The Hawks close out the 2008-09 season with an overall record of 15-32 and a 7-15 record in conference play.
Prior to the game, the Hawks honored the four members of their senior class; Drew Sgro, Ben Sobocinski, Brady Stouffer and Weston Szymanski.
In the opening game, the Great Danes put the game out of reach with 10 runs in the fourth innings, including five courtesy of two home runs from Dave West, a solo home run to lead off the inning and a grand slam to cap it off.
Albany opened the game with single runs in the first and second, the first one made possible by a Hawks error and the second a solo home run from Mike Tirri. The Hawks answered by scoring their first run in the bottom of the third, with Stouffer reaching on a single and stealing second and fellow classmate Sobocinski knocking him in on a double to left center field.
The Hawks scored two more runs in the game, with single runs in the fifth and sixth. Both runs came as the lead off batter reached for Hartford. In the fifth, Alex Bulger reached base on a single to start the innings. He then took third on a single to right field from Jon Ricco and then scored on a single to left from Mike Amendola.
In the seventh, Simon Kudernatsch began the offense reaching on a walk. He took second when Sgro was hit by a pitch and then third on an infield ground out. Sobocinski then picked up his second RBI of the game, knocking in Kudernatsch on an infield groundout.
Cory Beahm suffered the defeat on the mound. He pitched the first three innings and allowed six runs, four earned, on six hits with no walk and no strikeouts. Mike Thatcher, Matt Govoni and Myles Kelly all provided relief innings. Thatcher was credited with allowing five earned runs and Govoni four runs, all earned. Kelly pitched the final two innings and allowed three hits and no runs, while striking out one batter.
In the nightcap, the Hawks allowed six runs in the first inning, to put the game beyond reach. Hartford scored its first run in the second inning and then didn't score again until three runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth, before succumbing to reliever Alex Beaulieu.
Zach Tarner took the loss for Hartford. He pitched to the first six batters, allowing all to reach base and scored. He allowed five total hits and walked one batter. Andrew Smith, Bob Rogers and Brendan Floyd all saw relief time for Hartford. Rogers saw the most time, pitching six complete innings, allowing two runs, both home run, on three total hits with four strikeouts.
Sobocinski again led the Hawks at the plate with three hits in five at bats with three RBI. Andy Drexel provided the first Hawks run on a solo home run, his team leading seventh of the season.
Sobocinski knocked in his first run in the eighth inning on an infield single and then plated two more in the ninth on a single down the left field line.
