GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE

BLACKSBURG, Va. - After being rained out on Tuesday afternoon, the Hartford baseball team played a doubleheader at Virginia Tech on Wednesday. The Hawks battled hard in both games, but the host Hokies took both ends of the twin bill, winning the first game 10-3 and coming back with an 11-3 victory in Game Two.

Hartford dropped to 0-9-1 with the losses. Virginia Tech moved to 12-7, rebounding from a three-game sweep at the hands of Miami last weekend.

Virginia Tech grabbed a quick 3-0 lead in the first game as freshman Alex Gouin made his first collegiate start on the mound. Gouin would ultimately go 5.1 innings, giving up seven runs on 10  hits while striking out three. The Hokies scored once in the first and twice in the third inning before the Hawks got things going in the fourth inning.

Victor Santana led off the inning by getting aboard via a hit-by-pitch, and moved up to second when freshman James Alfonso singled. It was the first of three hits in the game for Alfonso. Then, when Chris Suchy attempted to put down a sacrifice bunt, Virginia Tech pitcher Eddie Campbell threw the ball away trying to gun down Santana at third base. Santana came aroud to score, and Alfonso and Suchy each moved up a bag.

The threat of a really big inning was damaged when senior Matt Walker hit a comebacker that Campbell turned into a double play, nailing Alfonso at the plate. After Simon Kudernatsch was hit by a pitch, Brian Hunter lined a single that plated Suchy and pulled the Hawks within a run at 3-2.

That would be as close as Hartford would get, as the Hokies drove Gouin from the game with two home runs in the sixth inning that sparked a four-run inning. The Hawks responded with a run driven in by senior Rodger Wilmot in the top of the seventh, but Virginia Tech added two insurance runs in the seventh and one more in the eighth to wrap up the victory.

Tyler Corsi started Game Two for the Hawks, and found himself in trouble early after an error to the leadoff hitter for Virginia Tech ultimately led to a run in the first inning. Corsi worked his way out of any further trouble despite giving up a hit, a walk and a hit batsman in the frame.

In the second, Hartford surged ahead briefly with two runs, helped in part by a throwing error by the Hokies. Brian Hunter and Walker led off with back-to-back singles, and when Ryan Lukach tried to put down a sacrifice bunt, the scenario from Game One repeated itself as the Hokies threw it away trying to get the lead runner. Hunter scored and Walker and Lukach each advanced a base. After a fly ball out, Mark Sorbara pushed Walker across with his line drive single. The Hokies got the next two batters to strike out, avoiding a bigger inning.

The Hokies went down in order in the second inning, but regained the lead for good in the third inning with three runs. They added three more in the fourth and one in the fifth before Lukach doubled and scored in the top of the sixth for the Hawks. Virginia Tech added three insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth.

Hartford will conclude its Mid-Atlantic road swing over the weekend with three games at Delaware State. The Hawks and Hornets will get things started at 3:00 p.m. on Friday, followed by 1:00 p.m. first pitches on Saturday and Sunday.