BUIES CREEK, N.C. – The Hartford baseball team dropped their season opener on Thursday afternoon, the first in a four game series, 9-2 to the Campbell Camels. Red-shirt sophomore Ryan Lukach provided the Hawks offense with a two-run home run in the second inning leading to an early 2-0 lead. With the loss, the Hawks are 0-1 on the season, while Campbell improves to 3-1 overall.

Hartford finished the game with four hits led by Lukach who closed out the game going 2-of-3 at the plate, both hits of which went for extra bases. Along with his second inning long ball, Lukach also had a leadoff double in the eighth. Freshman Adam Touhey and sophomore Brady Sheetz finished with one hit each.

Sophomore right hander Brian Hunter suffered the season opening loss on the hill. He pitched 5.1 innings in his first start and allowed four runs, one earned, on four hits. He also walked five batters and struck out one. Freshman Brian Murphy pitched 2.2 innings of relief allowing five runs, four earned, on five hits in his first collegiate appearance. Senior Ryan Mattes earned his second victory of the season for Campbell, pitching seven innings and was responsible for allowing the Hawks two runs.

Hunter needed to work out of trouble right off the bat as he found himself in a two-out bases loaded situation in the bottom of the first. The junior right hander was able to force a fly ball to left fielder Adam Touhey to get out of the inning.

Lukach, the right fielder, opened the offense against Campbell registering the first hit of the contest for either team as he drove a ball over the right field fence, just inside of the foul pole. The long ball, the third in Lukach's career, drove in rookie Billy Walker who managed a two out walk for the Hawks second base runner of the afternoon.

The Camels were able to even the score in the bottom half of the inning thanks to a Hartford error and a hard hit double through the left side. The first two batters in the inning reached safely, the first a bit batter and the second a fielder's choice as the throw to second looking to get the lead runner was off the mark. On the next at bat Aaron Vogt reached on another fielder's choice, which allowed Ben Fish to score easily from third. Vogt then scored the game tying run when he was able to score on bullet just past Hawks shortstop Aaron Wilson, which went in the books as a double and RBI for Michael Felton.

Hunter again needed to work out of trouble in the bottom of the third when he gave up a pair of singles to senior's David Olson and Nick Ray starting out the half inning. After an infield fielder's choice groundout, Hunter was able to force Trevor Lane into a double play that caught Fish in the middle.

After a quiet three-and-a-half inning stretch for both squads the Camels took the lead for good with two runs in the bottom of the sixth courtesy of a hit and two Hawks errors. With one out Vogt reached base safely for the third time on a throwing error by the short stop and after stealing second was able to score on a double to left center, with Ben McGuown recording the RBI. He would then score the second run of the inning after stealing third and scoring as the ball got away from the third basemen on the attempt to throw him out.

With Murphy on the hill in place of Hunter, the Hawks gave up one more run in the bottom of the seventh, again courtesy of a Hartford error. Nick Ray reached on an infield single and then advanced around second and 90 feet away on an error and a balk, only to score on a sacrifice fly of Fish's bat.

The Hawks looked to threaten in the top of the eighth after Lukach opened the inning with a double to left center. Campbell starter Ryan Mattes struck out the next batter before the Camels ended the inning with their second double play of the game. In the bottom half of the inning, Campbell broke the game open with four more runs, taking a 9-2 lead. The Camels used four hits led by a two run double from Elijah Trail to extend their lead.

The Hawks and Camels are scheduled for a doubleheader on Friday, weather permitting. The opening game of the day is scheduled for a 1:00 p.m. first pitch at Jim Perry Stadium. Scheduled to throw for Hartford are junior's Alex Gouin and Ryan Carter. Gouin made 10 appearances on the hill as a sophomore and finished the season with a 5.92 ERA. Carter came out of the bullpen for the Hawks, pitching 13.2 innings and allowing 23 hits and 15 runs.