Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Two well-pitched games went for naught on Sunday afternoon as the Hartford baseball team dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Harvard, 6-5 and 6-4. Andy Drexel hit his fifth home run of the season in the second game, tops on the team. He had four hits and three RBIs on the day.

Mike Thatcher took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of Game One before allowing a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth, tying what had been a 3-0 Hartford lead. Cory Beahm would end up taking the loss when Harvard scored three runs in the seventh. Freshman Brian Rice, who had served as the team's closer for much of the early part of the season, got his first start of the year in Game Two and pitched five solid innings, allowing four runs. He left with the score tied 4-4, but Alex Bulger took the loss, allowing two runs in two innings of relief.

Hartford scored a run in each of the first three innings of Game One. Drexel's RBI single scored Victor Santana in the first. In the second, freshman Erik Figueredo lead off by lacing a double to left. He would score three batters later on Jon Ricco's sacrifice fly. In the third, Santana led off with a double and scored when Mike Aldrich drove him in with a single.

Harvard battled back to a tie by the sixth inning, but the Hawks stormed back to take a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth. Drexel led things off with a screaming line drive right back at pitcher Daniel Berardo. The ball kicked off Berardo and into foul territory, allowing Drexel to reach. Berardo would remain in the game.

After Aldrich bunted Drexel to second, pinch hitter Rodger Wilmot came through in the clutch with a rope to right center, scoring Drexel and leaving Wilmot with a double.

Bobby Gorski was then walked intentionally, and both runners moved up 90 feet on a wild pitch. Then, on a bizarre play, Berardo appeared to have Gorski picked off second base. Gorski froze, still far off the bag, and the speedy Wilmot broke for home. That, in turn, froze the Harvard defense, which allowed Wilmot to score and Gorski to scamper safely to third on the makeshift double steal.

Unfortunately for the Hawks, who have already won three games this season on their last at bat, it was Harvard that provided the late-inning heroics on Sunday. Two walks proved costly for the Hawks in the top of the seventh, as both would score. Dan Zailskas drove in Marcus Way with the go-ahead run when Beahm tried to turn a double play on a comebacker, but could only get the lead runner at second.

Hartford had no response in the bottom of the seventh.

The Hawks scored first again in Game Two, but the Crimson answered with a run in the third and three more in the top of the fifth. In the bottom of the fifth, Andrew Siano lined a one-out single up the middle, and with two outs, power hitting catcher Mike Amendola caught the Crimson defense napping when he put down a perfect bunt to the left of the mound. There was no chance for Harvard starter Brent Suter to get Amendola at first, but he threw anyway. The throw sailed and went down the right field line, as Siano raced all the way around to score and Amendola ended up on second.

Drexel followed, lofting a soaring fly ball that kept going and going until it cleared everything in right-center field, landing in the parking lot. Suddenly, the score was tied.

Both teams went quietly in the sixth, but Harvard managed to dent the scoreboard twice in the seventh for what proved to be the final margin. Dillon O'Neill lined a two-out single to left and promptly stole second. Sam Franklin's single scored O'Neill, as Franklin moved to second on the throw to the plate. Jeff Reynolds plated Franklin with a single to left.

Hartford will be back in action for their fifth straight home game on Tuesday. The Hawks will welcome the Connecticut Huskies into Fiondella Field on Tuesday at 3 p.m. Tickets are still available, and can be purchased by calling 860-768-HAWK. Tickets can also be purchased at the gate.