WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford baseball team dropped a 10-9 decision to the Albany Great Danes on Sunday afternoon, falling in walk-off fashion in the 12th inning. The Hawks (12-24, 9-9 America East) finished with 16 total hits led by Pat Knauth and James Alfonso who each finished with three.

Four other Hartford players finished with a multi-hit afternoon as eight of the Hawks finished with at least one hit. Joining Alfonso and Stover in leading the team was short stop Trey Stover, second baseman Brian Estevez, center fielder Chris DelDebbio and third baseman Aaron Wilson who all finished with two hits. Right fielder Ryan Lukach finished with just one hit but led the Ha wks with three RBI, two of which came on that lone hit - a two-out triple to center field. Wilson finished just behind Lukach with a pair of RBI while four other players all drove in one run apiece.

On the hill, sophomore left hander Sean Newcomb started and gave up six earned runs on eight hits in five innings of work. The no decision for Newcomb also included a weekend-best eight strikeouts. Alex Gouin pitched four innings for the Hawks, allowing three earned runs on seven hits without walking a batter. Reliever Jeremy Charles pitched the final two-plus innings and allowed the game-winning run in the 12th suffering his second loss as a Hawk. Overall, Charles gave up four hits, walked one batter and struck out one.

Hartford stormed out to an early lead, scoring seven runs in the first three innings. The Hawks scored a pair of runs in the first inning, the first of which was Stover, the leadoff batter, who originally reached base on a single to short stop. Stover became the first run of the game when Lukach sacrificed himself for the good of the team. DelDebbio would knock in the Hawks second run in the first inning as he single to left center field which allowed Estevez to score after originally reaching base on an error.

The Hawks added four more runs in the second inning; the most runs in a single inning by either team. Hartford sent eight batters to the plate in the second inning with Wilson, Estevez and Lukach driving in the four runs. Lukach led four hits in the inning with a two-run three bagger, the eighth triple of the season for Hartford and the first for the right fielder. Both Wilson and Estevez sacrificed themselves to allow runs to score, which led to a 6-0 lead.

The Hawks seventh run came in the third inning and was made possible thanks to a leadoff walk issued to left fielder Adam Touhey. He was pushed across the plate two batters later on a double to left center from Alfonso, scoring from first. The Great Danes scored their first run in the third inning, again utilizing a leadoff walk issued to catcher Craig Lepre. After advancing to second on a second walk and third on a bunt single, Lepre scored as the first out of the inning was recorded, a sacrifice fly from short stop Gordon Madej.

The single run in the third was the first of four straight scoring innings for the Great Danes as they eventually took a 9-8 lead following three runs in the sixth inning. The Hawks only run in that stretch came in the fifth as Knauth knocked in DelDebbio who originally was hit by a pitch to reach base. The Great Danes go ahead runs came courtesy of five hits in the sixth inning, including four straight before an out was recorded.

Hartford would tie the game at nine with a single run in the seventh inning thanks to a leadoff double from Knauth and a single from Wilson which drove the tying run across the plate. The Hawks managed just two base runners between the eight and 11th innings before threatening in the top of the 12th with a runner in scoring position before Brady Sheetz hit into a groundout to end the inning.

The Great Danes threatened to end the game in the bottom of the 11th when they had bases loaded with two outs but left all three runners stranded as Charles forced Lepre into a line drive to left field. In the 12th, Charles struck out leadoff batter Nolan Gaige before hitting the second hole hitter for the first base runner in the inning. With Adam Mund replacing the hit batter, Garrett Muller, as a pinch runner, the Great Danes strung together back-to-back hits to sore the game-winning run. A single from Madej allowed Mund to take second before Josh Nethaway drove in the go ahead run on a double to center field.

The Hawks will play a pair of mid-week games before returning to league play next weekend. First on the docket will be a trip to Boston, Mass. for a 3:00 p.m. start on Tuesday afternoon at Boston College. Hartford will then return home for a single game on Wednesday when they welcome Rhode Island to Fiondella Field for the first home game since April 7. The Rams and Hawks are scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. first pitch on Wednesday.