Box Score

KINGSTON, R.I. - Three Hawks hit home runs, including a three-run shot for Andy Drexel's twelfth home run of the season, but the Hartford baseball team fell in its final non-conference game of the season, 14-9 at Rhode Island on Tuesday. Bobby Gorski added his second homer of the season, and Matt Walker hit his third, his second in as many games.

Bob Rogers started and took the loss for Hartford, dropping his record to 1-2. Brian Bodjiak got the win, improving his mark to 2-2.

Rhode Island struck first, scoring a run in the bottom of the first inning. Hartford answered back in the top of the second, though, tying the score on Gorski's solo shot, a drive to right field. Gorski would go 2-for-2 on the day with a triple and three walks, driving in three runs.

After the Hawks knotted the score at one, the Rams pulled away, scoring four runs in the second and four more in the third. They scored at least one run in each of the first five innings, grabbing a 13-1 lead before Hartford rallied for two in the top of the sixth. Mike Amendola led off that inning with a single, and one out later, Walker smashed his third home run of the season to deep left field.

Walker has now reached base safely at least once in each of his last ten games.

Hartford plated another run in the seventh, this one without the benefit of a base hit. Gorski led off the inning with a walk, and back-to-back hit-by-pitches taken by Jared Canney and Adam Sobiewski loaded the bases. Jason Freethey pushed Gorski across to score with a sacrifice fly to center field, although Rhode Island got out of the inning without any further damage.

The Hawks exploded for five runs in the ninth inning. Sobiewski led off with a single, and after Freethey walked, Amendola reached on a fielder's choice which erased Freethey from the base paths. Drexel then stepped to the plate, smoking his twelfth home run of the season over the wall in right. Drexel is the first Hawk to slam at least 12 home runs in a season since Ron Acabbo finished with 12 in 2004.

After Drexel's blast cleared the bases, Walker drew a base on balls, and Rodger Wilmot reached first when the pitcher threw the ball away trying to start a double play. With two outs, up stepped Gorski, who laced the John Kashmanian offering to the gap in right-center. Walker and Wilmot scored, and Gorski legged out a triple, the first of his collegiate career.

Hartford will close its season out this weekend with a three-game set at Albany. The Hawks are 9-36, 3-18 in the America East, but they did win a game from the Great Danes when the two teams met in West Hartford earlier this season. The Hawks will be looking for their first America East series win of the season as they play a doubleheader starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday and a single game starting at 1 p.m. on Sunday.