BOX SCORE
West Hartford, Conn. – The Hartford baseball team picked up its first league win of the season on Sunday, defeating the Albany Great Danes 6-4 in the final game of a three-game series. The Hawks (8-21, 1-2 AE) were led by senior Andy Drexel who finished 1-of-3 at the plate while driving in three runs. Freshman pitcher Sean Newcomb earned the victory on the mound, while reliever Brian Hunter scored his second save of the season.
Drexel's one hit was one of nine total for the home team as seven different players finished with at least one hit in the contest. Leading all players was Hunter and centerfielder Rob Meerman who each finished with two hits. The longest hit of the day came from senior Simon Kudernatsch who hit his third home run of the season, a solo shot in the fourth inning.
Newcomb pitched 5.2 innings in his second win of the year, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits and striking out six batters. The rookie left hander also walked six batters. Hunter pitched the final 10 outs of the game for Hartford and allowed one earned run on two hits while recording three strike outs and walking a single batter. Albany (8-20-1, 2-1 AE) starter Kasceim Graham suffered the loss for the Great Danes. Graham pitched 5.1 innings and allowed all six Hawks runs, three earned, on six hits.
Albany struck early using a leadoff walk to Nolan Gaige to their advantage. Gaige advanced to second on a perfectly placed sacrifice bunt off the bat of Joey Tracy. He then advanced to third on a fielding error on a pickoff attempt and able to score on an infield groundout with Pete DiResta recording the RBI.
The Hawks would answer back with their first runs, taking a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Kudernatsch led off the inning working a walk off Great Danes starter Kasceim Graham. After advancing to second on a wild pitch, Kudernatsch was able to score on the next at bat, a double off the bat of Hunter who was able to take third on the throw home from left field. With Hunter of the corner, Drexel came to the plate and sacrificed himself for the team, driving in the go ahead run.
The Great Danes would then even the score at two runs apiece with one swing of the bat as Jeff Welsh sent his first home run of the season inches over the fence in left field. The run for Welsh was just his second RBI of the season.
Hartford responded by opening up its largest lead of the weekend with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth inning. Kudernatsch opened the inning with his third long ball of the season high over the fence in right field. Kudernatsch's home run ties fellow classmate Drexel for the team lead in that category. Hunter followed that at bat by reaching base as he was hit by a pitch. He then took off to second on a failed pickoff attempt and after patiently watching the next two batters hit into infield outs, came around to score on a double that rolled to the fence in left field off the pine of Brian Estevez.
The Hawks added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth, giving them a 6-2 cushion. Pat Knauth was able to reach base, leading off the inning, after an error on the pitcher. A well played sacrifice from Trey Stover advanced Knauth to second, but following the second out, a foul out to first base, the Hawks worked the bases loaded with Kudernatsch being hit by a pitch and Hunter working a walk. That left Drexel at the plate with three runners aboard and he muscled a single into shallow right field that allowed Knauth and Kudernatsch to score before he was tagged out trying to advance to second.
The Great Danes would get one runback in the sixth inning using a leadoff walk to their advantage, though the run would score unearned on an infield popup. Greg Muller opened the inning working his second walk of the game and after waiting through two outs took second on the second walk issued in the inning, this one to Gordon Madej. On the next at bat, Gaige popped up just inside of the third baseline that glanced off of the Hawks catcher, which allowed Muller to score from second as he was running on the play with two outs.
The Hawks will play a fourth-straight home game on Wednesday afternoon when they welcome the Iona Gaels to West Hartford for a single game before heading on the road for their first league series at Maine. Hartford and Iona are scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start at Fiondella Field.
