WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Despite a pair of great pitching performances from Kyle Gauthier and Brian Hunter the Hartford baseball team (4-18, 3-5 AE) dropped two close games to the visiting Binghamton Bearcats on Friday at Fiondella Field. The Bearcats (14-8, 5-3 AE) scored a 3-2 extra inning victory in the opener before taking a 3-1- comeback decision in the nightcap.

The rookie right handed Gauthier pitched the opening game and allowed three earned runs on nine hits and a walk in 7.1 innings of work. Tyler Corsi would pitch the final two outs against the Bearcats. In the nightcap, Hunter, a junior righty, pitched seven innings of scoreless ball, scattering five hits on a pair of walks and nine strikeouts, a season high for all pitchers. Gauthier and reliever Anthony Mannuccia were tagged with the losses.

At the plate, Hartford was led by sophomore second baseman Brian Estevez who finished with four hits in seven total at bats. Finishing just behind him was junior Ryan Lukach who finished with three hits, all of which came in the second game as he finished 3-for-4 with a run scored. Two of his three hits went for extra bases. A trio of freshman, Joe Roberti, Billy Walker and Chris DelDebbio, recorded the three RBI's on the day.

After stranding three runners in the first six innings, the Bearcats broke the stalemate with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh, with Brian Ruby and Daniel Nevares leading off the inning with singles to shortstop and through the left side, respectively. After both advanced on a wild pitch, the Hawks intentionally walked Jordon Smucker to load the bases when Mike Danaher provided the third hit of the inning, this one up the middle scoring Ruby and Nevares for the 2-0 advantage.

Hartford entered its final three outs needing to take those two runs back and they did just that with rookies Chris DelDebbio and Billy Walker providing the muscle and recording the RBI's. The Hawks opened the bottom of the seventh the same as Binghamton began the top half with singles from Brian Estevez and Brady Sheetz, but it would be the latter who would score the first run.

Sheetz scored three batters later after being sacrificed to second by Brian Hunter and an infield groundout from pinch hitter James Alfonso thanks to the third hit of the inning, this one to centerfield from DelDebbio. That hit also advanced Alfonso to second and he was able to score on the next at bat, a single up the middle from Walker.

The Bearcats responded by scoring the game-winning run in the top of the eighth, thanks in part to a leadoff double from John Howell. After a balk advanced Howell to third he became the go ahead run as Jake Thomas sacrificed himself on a fly ball to left field. After allowing a one-out single to Trey Stover the Bearcats brought in closer Mike Kaufman who secured his third save of the season.

The nightcap began much the same as the first game, scoreless through the first four innings before the Hawks put a single run up in the bottom of the fifth thanks to back-to-back hits from Ryan Lukach and Joe Roberti. Lukach would be the first to reach safely with a one out bunt single and after advancing to second on a balk, was able to score as Roberti, the designated hitter, squeezed a ball just inside the third base bag. 

The Hawks would threaten again in the seventh after Lukach led off the inning with a ground rule double as he bounced a ball over the fence in right field. Binghamton's starter Jack Rogalla wasn't going to give up a second run forcing the next three batters into outs, stranding the runner 180 feet away.

Mannuccia was unable to keep the Bearcats off the board in the ninth inning, suffering his second loss of the season. Nevares would open the inning with an infield single for the Bearcats and after Smucker worked a walk to put two runners on Mannuccia suffered a crucial error on a sacrifice attempt from Reed Gamache. As Gamache sped down the first base line, Mannuccia threw wild to third as he attempted to retire the lead runner. The error allowed Navares and Smucker to score. Gamache would become the game winning run following a pair of sacrifices, the second a fly ball from Bijan Mangouri which provided the RBI.

The Hawks and Bearcats close out the series on Saturday with a single game scheduled for a 12:00 p.m. first pitch.