GAME ONE BOX SCORE
GAME TWO BOX SCORE

WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Opening its final home conference series of the season, the Hartford baseball team saw its losing streak hit 11 games as they fell in both ends of a doubleheader to Stony Brook on Saturday, 5-1 and 3-2. The Hawks had several opportunities in both games, but could not cash in as they came up short in interim head coach Jerry Shank's first games at the helm.

Ryan Lukach and Hunter Englehart took the losses for Hartford (3-36-1, 1-13), despite both pitching solid ballgames. Nick Tropeano and Evan Stecko-Haley were the winning pitchers for Stony Brook (32-10, 13-2).

Game One started in warm weather under picturesque blue skies, but the weather quickly changed and by the bottom of the first inning, lightning struck in the area, forcing the umpires to delay the game. The Hawks and Seawolves sat through a 40-minute rain delay, then experienced another 12-minute delay shortly thereafter as lightning once again cropped up in the area. Although there were some showers during the second game, those were the only delays that occurred.

Hartford took a 1-0 lead in the first game when freshman Brian Hunter slammed his first career home run, a solo shot in the fourth inning. Simon Kudernatsch had led off the inning with a double, but was gunned down easily at third base as he tried to stretch it into a triple.

The Seawolves tied the score in the top of the fifth, manufacturing a run with two singles, a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to the first baseman. Then in the sixth, Stony Brook broke on top with three runs, all plated on a three-run triple by Travis Jankowski.

Stony Brook would add an unearned run in the top of the seventh as insurance.

Game Two was another tense battle. The Seawolves took an early 2-0 lead in the second inning, but Hartford responded with a run in the bottom of the frame. Kudernatsch led off by drawing a walk, moving to second with one out after Rodger Wilmot was hit by a pitch. Hunter then put down a perfect sacrifice bunt attempt - so good that he beat out the play and was safe at first with a single.

With the bases loaded and one out, Alex Bulger hit a fly ball to medium depth center field, deep enough to score Kudernatsch. The next batter flew out, though, as the rally was halted.

Stony Brook added a crucial third run on a strange play in the fifth inning. With runners at second and third and no one out, designated hitter William Carmona hit a hard grounder to Matt Walker at first base. Pat Cantwell, the runner at third, held up, but Chad Marshall broke from second to third. After Walker tagged the bag at first to retire Carmona, he looked at Marshall, hung to dry off second base, and threw the ball behind the runner to Kudernatsch covering the second base bag. On the throw, Cantwell broke for the plate, scoring easily. Marshall was eventually tagged out, but the run scored.

Kudernatsch scored for a second time in the sixth inning, bringing Hartford back within a run. After beating out an infield hit to lead off the inning, he moved to second on a single by Mike Aldrich. Back-to-back sacrifice bunts then moved him around to score, pulling the Hawks within one.

In the seventh, Walker ripped a double to the gap in left-center field with two outs and Chris Suchy at first base. Suchy raced around the diamond and was waved home, but the relay was perfect from left field and the Seawolves gunned down the would-be tying run at the plate.

For Walker, the double was his 11th of the season and 46th of his career, leaving him just one shy of Ron Accabo's all-time Hartford record of 47.

Hartford would get a runner to third base with two outs in the ninth inning, but Stony Brook closer James Campbell got a strike out to end the game.

The Hawks used four pitchers during the doubleheader, three freshmen and a sophomore. In all, they held the Seawolves to just seven earned runs and 14 total hits, despite Stony Brook coming into the game with a .320 team batting average. Unfortunately, the Hawks hit just 5-for-24 with runners on base during the doubleheader, and just 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

Hartford and Stony Brook will conclude their series on Sunday afternoon. Despite the fact that the Hawks have one more home game remaining, Sunday's doubleheader will serve as Senior Day for the team's seven soon-to-be graduates. Fans can catch all the action live on HartfordHawks.com All-Access, with Brian Irizarry at the call.