BOX SCORE

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Anthony Mannuccia started and pitched effectively for the Hartford baseball team on Thursday as they took on the Massachusetts Minutemen, but he was the victim of several defensive miscues as he and the Hawks took another loss, this time 15-0 at Fiondella Field. Mannuccia went 4.1 innings, striking out two, but only two of the six runs he allowed were earned.

Hartford (1-17-1) fell for the sixth consecutive game. The Hawks managed just five hits against three UMass pitchers while committing four errors.

Mannuccia found himself in trouble right away in the first inning, as Rich Graef doubled to lead off the game and Eric Fredette reached on a throwing error, which scored Graef and moved Fredette to second. Soon, the Minutemen had loaded the bases with no one out before Mannuccia got the first out of the inning by striking out Kyle Multner. Tim Conley then singled home a run, but Mannuccia worked out of any further damage when he induced a 6-4-3 double play ball to end the inning.

The sophomore settled down from there, putting up a scoreless second and pitching a three up, three down third.

Freshman Ryan Lukach knocked a sharp single through the right side to lead off the Hawks' half of the first inning, but that would be the only hit Hartford could muster until the fourth. In that inning, freshman James Alfonso lined a one-out single to left field, followed by a bloop single by freshman Brian Hunter. A walk to senior Andy Drexel, playing his first game since April 13 at Radford, loaded the bases with one out. However, the Hawks could not cash in on the opportunity as senior Rodger Wilmot popped out and freshman Alex Gouin flew out to center field.

UMass, meanwhile, added a single unearned run in the fourth inning followed by three - only one of which was earned - in the fifth. In fact, the Minutemen would score at least two runs in every inning the rest of the way save for a scoreless seventh inning tossed by sophomore reliever Brian Rice.

Hartford had another opportunity in the fifth inning, but after Brendan Behm led off with a single, he was caught trying to steal second base. Back-to-back two-out walks to Lukach and junior Simon Kudernatsch could not be capitalized upon as Alfonso struck out to end the frame.

Kudernatsch went hitless for the first time in five games after getting at least two hits in each of the last three.

The Hawks will be on the road next, visiting NJIT in Newark on Saturday for a doubleheader which gets underway at 3:00 p.m. Hartford and NJIT will also play a twin bill on Sunday, this time at Fiondella Field. Tickets for that doubleheader, which begins at 1:00 p.m., are still available and can be purchased by calling 860-768-HAWK.