BOX SCORE GAME 1
BOX SCORE GAME 2
PHOTO GALLERY
West Hartford, Conn. – The Hartford baseball team dropped a pair of one run decisions to the Albany Great Danes in its conference opening series on Saturday at Fiondella Field. The Great Danes (8-19-1, 2-0 AE) scored a 2-1 victory in the first game, thanks to a home run from Josh Nethaway, while a long ball from Mike Tirri scored the game-winning run in the night cap, 3-2.
Hartford (7-21, 0-2 AE) was led by senior Simon Kudernatsch who finished 1-for-3 in each game with an RBI in each and a run scored in the night cap. Brian Estevez was the only other Hawks to finish with an RBI, knocking in one run in the second game. Estevez, James Alfonso and Brian Hunter all led the way in the first game with two hits each, while Andy Drexel was the only Hawk to finish with a multi-hit game in the nightcap, going 2-of-4.
On the mound, the Hawks starting pitching suffered both losses with Alex Gouin dropping the opener and Hunter Englehart the second game. Gouin pitched four innings in the opening game before being lifted for an injury. He allowed both Albany runs on three hits while striking out and walking two batters. Englehart finished seven innings of work allowing all three of the Great Danes runs in the night cap, two earned, on four hits while walking three batters and striking out one.
Austin Barnes and Freddy Andujar each saw time in relief for the Hawks with Barnes relieving Gouin in the opener and Andujar pitching two innings in the second game. Barnes pitched three innings and allowed just one hit, while walking two and striking out one. Andujar also allowed just one hit while walking one and recording a pair of strikeouts.
Hartford opened the scoring in the first game with its only run in the top of the first inning. Alfonso began the offense with a one out double to left center field, a ball that got caught in the sun for the Great Danes outfield. Hunter then worked a two out walk to put runners on first and second, which led to a one run single off the bat of senior Kudernatsch.
The Hawks wouldn't hold the lead very long as the Great Danes opened up the second inning with back-to-back hits, a double from Josh Netheway and a single from Greg Muller the second of which allowed Netheway to score from second, knotting the game at one run apiece.
The Great Danes game-winning run came two innings later when Netheway struck again, his second in as many at bats, a home run high over the left field fence. The long ball for Netheway was his second of the season.
Despite a pair of hits in the bottom of the seventh, the Hawks would leave a pair of runners stranded as Great Danes pitcher Zack Kraham earned his first victory on the hill. Kraham pitched a complete outing, throwing 121 pitches.
In the nightcap, the Hawks again took the first lead of the game scoring a pair of runs in the second inning. A fielding error at second allowed Brady Sheetz to become the first runner of the inning and he came around to score on the next at bat, a triple to the fence in right center field off the stick Kudernatsch. A fielder's choice on the next batter, Estevez, allowed Kudernatsch to score as he evaded the tag at the plate.
Albany again didn't let the lead last very long scoring two runs in the top of the third to tie the game at two. A leadoff walk to Greg Madej and a throwing error at shortstop for the Hawks came back to pay off for the Great Danes as Madej and Jeff Welsh both scored in the inning. The first run came by way of an RBI single from Nolan Gaige, while Welsh scored on a double play ball off the bat off Muller.
Despite retiring eight of the next nine batters Englehart faced, it was one swing of the bat from Mike Tirri that provided the Great Danes first lead of the second game as he sent his team leading third home run just a few feet over the fence in right field.
Hartford and Albany will close out the series in West Hartford on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. start scheduled at Fiondella Field. Rookie Sean Newcomb is scheduled to start on the hill for Hartford.
