STONY BROOK, N.Y. – The Hartford baseball team split a doubleheader with the defending America East Champion Stony Brook Seawolves on Saturday winning the opening game 4-3 in eight innings and dropping a 3-2 decision in the second game. The Hawks improve to 10-20 on the season and 8-6 in America East play.

Anthony Mannuccia and Jeremy Charles combined to secure the victory in the first game with Mannuccia earning his first victory of the season and Charles his first save. At the plate, the Hawks were led by Brady Sheetz who finished 4-of-8 at the plate with three runs scored. Two of his four hits went for extra bases, a double and a triple. Chris DelDebbio and Brian Estevez each led the team with two RBI's apiece.

After retiring the first six Hawks in order, the Seawolves took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and third. Designated hitter Johnny Caputo knocked in the initial run when he doubled to center field driving in first baseman Kevin Courtney who led off the inning reaching on a walk. In the third, the Seawolves used three singles to manufacture their second run with Tanner Nivins driving in Jack Parenty who led off the inning with an infield single.

Hartford tied the game in the top of the fifth with their first two runs, both of which scored on a single through the right side from Estevez, the second baseman. Estevez's only hit of the game came with two outs and drove in Billy Walker, who reached on a single, and Adam Touhey, who reached thanks to a fielder's choice.

Stony Brook answered with its final run in the bottom half of the fifth, taking a one-run lead. Parenty would again score for the Seawolves after he led off the inning with a single up the middle. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt and a hit from catcher Anthony Italiano, Parenty scored from third on a one out single through the right side from Courtney. That hit knocked Hawks starter Kyle Gauthier out of the game with Mannuccia coming in to relieve him and forcing a double play to end the inning.

The Hawks tied the game in the next half inning manufacturing the run with two outs. DelDebbio became the first base runner when he singled up the middle. After getting himself into scoring position by stealing second, DelDebbio scored from 180 feet away when James Alfonso sent his only hit of the game, a two-bagger, to left center field.

DelDebbio would provide the heroics in the eighth as he drove in the game-winning run with one out. His hit, a single to left center, followed a leadoff triple from Sheetz. With the lead, head coach Justin Blood went to his bullpen and Charles who secured his first save of the season forcing Caputo into a double play to end the game.

In the night cap, the Hawks struck first with a single run in the fourth inning with Sheetz leading off the inning with a single to right field. After stealing second he was able to score from second on a two-out double to right field off the bat of right fielder Ryan Lukach. Stony Brook answered with a lead change in their half of the fourth as Nivins drove in both runs on a triple to right center which scored Italiano and Caputo.

Hartford pushed the game-tying run across the plate in the sixth inning with Sheetz again beginning the offense, this time with a one out double down the right field line. DelDebbio followed that p with a single to short stop with allowed Sheetz to score after advancing 90 feet on an infield groundout.

The Seawolves scored the go ahead run in the bottom of the eighth off of reliever Brian Murphy. After Murphy recorded two outs to start the inning, Italiano responded by sending the first of back-to-back hits, his to center field. The second, which drove in the winning run, was a double to left field off the bat of Courtney.

The Hawks and Seawolves will close out the series with a single nine-inning game at Joe Nathan Field in Stony Brook, N.Y. on Sunday. First pitch in the rubber-game is scheduled for 12:00 p.m.