Box Score

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. - The big inning has been the story of the Hartford baseball team early in 2010. The Hawks have shown a knack for putting runs on the board in bunches, which they did again on Monday with a seven-run seventh inning against the Akron Zips. Conversely, Hartford has not been able to prevent its opponents from doing the same. Akron scored four in the fifth and three runs in the seventh and ninth innings on their way to a 12-8 triumph over the Hawks.

Simon Kudernatsch continued his hot start, going 2-for-3 with two RBIs. He reached base five times, including three hit-by-pitches. Anthony Mannuccia started and took the loss for the Hawks (2-3), while Benjamin Danzinger got the win.

Akron jumped on the board first, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a sacrifice fly. The Hawks evened it up in the second when Cory Beahm's sac fly brought home Rodger Wilmot.

From there, the Zips put up a commanding lead with a run in the fourth, four in the fifth and three more in the top of the seventh to take a 9-1 advantage.

Hartford was not done, though. As it has throughout the first week of the season, the Hawks' top of the order sparked a big rally that would end up sending 12 men to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, scoring seven.

Andrew Siano led off the frame by beating out an infield hit to the left side. After Kudernatsch roped a single back through the box, Mike Amendola was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Andy Drexel punched a grounder to third, forcing Siano at the plate but keeping the bases loaded. Matt Walker then found the hole between short and third, scoring Kudernatsch. Victor Santana was next, scorching a grounder up the middle and through to keep the carousel going. Wilmot made it seven straight Hawks to reach base when he singled to right, and Bobby Gorski took one for the team, getting plunked and driving in another run.

Drew Turocy was then summoned from the bullpen to relieve the starter, Danzinger. Beahm greeted him with his second sac fly of the game, and Kudernatsch capped the scoring with a two-RBI knock to left. The Hawks trailed just 9-8, and the bench had sprung back to life.

Both teams went quietly in the eighth inning, but in the ninth, the Zips touched freshman Brian Rice for three runs, giving them all-important insurance heading into the bottom of the ninth. Rice, who saved each of the Hawks' victories last week, was working his second inning of the game. It was the first time in his young collegiate career that he extended to a second inning of work.

Hartford's loss concluded a four-game trip to Florida. The team will return to West Hartford for a doubleheader against in-state rival Yale starting at noon on Friday. The Hawks and Bulldogs will then have another twin bill on Saturday, also scheduled to begin at noon.