Box Score
Albany, N.Y. – The Hartford baseball closed the 2012 season with a 24-2 loss on the road at Albany on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks finish the season with an overall record of 16-40 and a 7-17 mark in America East play under first year head coach Justin Blood. Albany enters the 2012 America East Championship as the second seed with a 22-30-1 overall record and a 16-8 mark in league play.
Hartford finished with six total hits against the Great Danes pitching staff that saw five different players take the mound. Starter Austin Chase scored the victory for the Great Danes, while Hawks starter Mike Thatcher suffered the loss, pitching one-third of an inning and allowing six runs, three earned, on four hits. Senior Alex Bulger led the Hawks in his final collegiate game finishing with two hits. Four others players all recorded one hit, including fellow senior Simon Kudernatsch.
Thatcher was one of six pitchers used by the Hawks with all but one fiving up at least one run in the game. Freddy Andujar pitched two innings of relief work, the final two innings, without allowing a run on three hits. He also struck out two batters, joining Albany's Chase in leading all 11 pitchers who saw time on the mound.
Albany put the game out of reach early on scoring six runs in the first inning and taking a 12-2 lead through the first three. The Hawks two runs came in the second inning, with both being driven in by catcher James Alfonso. Andy Drexel opened the inning with a leadoff walk and became the second runner in scoring position following a double down the left field line from designated hitter Brian Hunter. Alfonso followed Hunter's hit with a single through the right side that allowed Drexel and Hunter to score.
The Great Danes would end the game scoring at least one run in the seven of the eight innings they saw at the plate. The Great Danes were held scoreless in the eighth inning, while scoring a game-high seven runs in the seventh inning, all made possible by eight straight hits before recording an out. Mike Tirri had the biggest hit of the inning, driving in two runs on a long ball to right field.
