Box Score

ORLANDO - Andy Drexel crushed his third home run of the season and Simon Kudernatsch continued his hot start at the plate, but the Hartford baseball team had no answer for the offensive attack from Central Florida as they fell, 24-4. Cory Beahm started and took the loss for the Hawks. Nick Cicio earned the victory for the Knights.

Hartford grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the first inning. As has been the case throughout the early part of the season, the offense was paced by the top of the order and junior shortstop Simon Kudernatsch. The Czech Republic native laced a double to left, and two batters later, junior Mike Aldrich cashed him in with an RBI single.

The lead did not last long, though. The first fourteen Central Florida batters reached base safely, and only a perfect relay from center fielder Andrew Siano to second baseman Erik Figueredo to catcher Mike Amendola, gunning down Chris Taladay at the plate, kept the inning from extending further. In all, the Knights scored 11 runs in the first inning, just a day after putting up 10 in the first in the nightcap of Saturday's doubleheader. Derek Luciano highlighted the inning with a grand slam home run to make the score 10-0. It was the first of two homers for the junior third baseman.

Junior Andy Drexel powered his third home run of the season in the top of the sixth to dead center field. Drexel led the team with seven home runs last year, and has hit three of the team's five dingers thus far in 2010. He is one of many Hawk hitters sporting lofty numbers early in the season, boasting a .455 on-base percentage and an .842 slugging percentage.

After Cory Beahm pitched the first 3.1 innings for Hartford, sophomore Mike Thatcher came in and allowed just one run, striking out three, in 3.2 innings of work.

Drexel and Siano would add RBIs grounders later in the game, but the damage was done and Hartford dropped the rubber game of its three-game set with Central Florida.

The Hawks will remain in the Sunshine State for one more game, tomorrow against Akron. The Hawks and Zips will square off at 11 a.m. from Winter Haven, Florida. After the game, Hartford will travel back to Connecticut, and will open its home slate on Friday afternoon with a doubleheader against Yale beginning at noon.