DOVER, Del. - The Hartford baseball team put together perhaps its best offensive showing of the season on Saturday afternoon, but it was not enough to overcome a big early deficit as the Hawks fell at Delaware State, 16-6. The six runs were a season high for Hartford, but Delaware State scored at least once in each of the first six innings as they jumped out in front and stayed on top, handing Hartford its seventh-consecutive defeat.
Freshman Kevin Veilleux took the loss for the Hawks (0-11-1), giving up six runs on six hits in 1.0-plus innings of work. He fell to 0-3 on the season. Matt McClain picked up the victory for Delaware State. Senior Rodger Wilmot got three of Hartford's 13 hits, finishing a home run shy of the cycle, while freshman Ryan Lukach added two RBIs.
The Hornets scored twice in the first inning, then led off the second with two singles and two doubles before driving Veilleux from the game. Senior Vincent Fiore came in and got the first two outs of the inning, but then served up a three-run home run to Cameron Cecil, putting the Hornets up 8-0.
Hartford got on the board in the third inning. Freshman Brian Estevez led off with a single, then moved to third when junior Simon Kudernatsch laced a single back through the middle. Two batters later, senior Matt Walker pushed Estevez across the plate with his RBI single to right-center field.
In the fourth, Wilmot led off with the first of his three hits, a double to the gap in right-center field. He moved to third on a groundout to second, then scored on another groundout by Lukach.
The Hawks broke through for three runs in the fifth inning. Freshman Mark Sorbara led off with a single, which was followed up by freshman James Alfonso's double to the gap. With runners on second and third, Walker sent a fly ball to deep right that scored Sorbara and moved Alfonso up 90 feet. Wilmot then ripped a ball to the gap in left-center field. Alfonso scored, and Wilmot chugged around to third base for his second triple of the season. He scored moments later when junior Victor Santana laced a double to left.
Although the Hawks had begun to show signs of life offensively, the Hornets had not slowed down, matching Hartford's single runs in the third and fourth and adding two in the fifth. Delaware State would add another run in the sixth, and then after Lukach singled to drive in another run in the Hawks' half of the seventh inning, the Hornets added three insurance runs in the eighth inning. The Hornets' 16 runs came on 15 hits, as they also drew nine walks during the game.
The Hawks wrap up their series at Delaware State - and their spring break Mid-Atlantic road trip - on Sunday afternoon. First pitch between the Hawks and Hornets is set for 1:00 p.m.
