Box Score

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - A big inning may have been just what the doctor ordered for Jeff Calcaterra and the Hartford baseball team. After the Hawks' offense showed signs of breaking out in a 7-5 victory over Albany on Monday, it was important for the team to keep that momentum going into a matchup with the Quinnipiac Bobcats on Tuesday. They did just that, scoring eight runs in the third inning on their way to a 10-4 victory.

Chris Greiner allowed just four hits and one earned run in five innings, improving his record to 2-1 on the season. George Dummar took the loss, dropping to 0-2.

Eight of the nine Hartford hitters recorded at least one hit on the day, and all nine scored at least one run.

The third inning started innocuously enough, as Rodger Wilmot hit a hard grounder to the shortstop for the first out. After that, though, the next ten Hartford batters would reach safely, and eight would cross the plate, forcing Dummar from the game.

Victor Santana got things started by drawing a walk, and singles from Mike Amendola and Mike Aldrich followed to load the bases. The Hawks got on the board when Andy Drexel laced a single to right field, scoring Santana to give Hartford a 1-0 lead.

Matt Walker was up next, going with the Dummar pitch and sending a long drive deep over center fielder Ryan Ullrich's head. Amendola and Aldrich scored, and two runners were in scoring position for Bobby Gorski.

Gorski rapped a hard grounder to the right of shortstop Mickey Amanti, who was able to smother it but had no play as Drexel crossed the plate with the Hawks' fourth run, and Gorski reached first on the infield single. Jon Ricco followed with a single, plating Walker and moving Gorski around to third.

It appeared that Dummar got the second out of the inning when Cory Beahm swung and missed at what would have been strike three, but catcher Thomas Donovan got in the way of Beahm's swing. The home plate umpire called catcher's interference, sending Beahm safely to first to load the bases once again.

With Wilmot back at the plate, Dummar threw a pitch that bounced well in front of home plate and got past Donovan, all the way to the backstop. Gorski scored, and Ricco and Beahm each moved up ninety feet. Wilmot made it 7-0 when his single to right sent Ricco trotting in to touch home.

With Santana at the plate, Wilmot and Beahm attempted a double steal. Although Wilmot was caught at second base for the second out of the inning, Beahm slid into home safely, bringing the Hartford tally to 8-0. Santana would walk before Amendola grounded out to bring the inning to a close.

After Quinnipiac got on the board with two in the top of the fifth, Hartford answered with two of its own in the bottom of the inning. With one out, Wilmot lined a single to right field. Santana followed with a single, and Amendola loaded the bases when he was hit by a pitch. Aldrich then drew a walk, forcing in Wilmot.

Although Drexel, too, was hit by a pitch during his at bat, the home plate umpire ruled that he turned into the pitch, and did not award him the base. Drexel responded by sending a fly ball to deep left field, good enough for a sacrifice fly and an RBI, giving Hartford a 10-2 lead.

The Bobcats would add two in the eighth and loaded the bases against Brian Rice in the ninth, but could push nothing more across as Hartford sealed its second consecutive victory, 10-4.

Hartford hits the road for four straight starting tomorrow at Marist. The Hawks and Red Foxes get underway at 3:30 in Poughkeepsie.