WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford baseball team completed its first series sweep in 2013 with a 6-1 victory over UMBC on Sunday afternoon. Leading the way at the plate for the Hawks was senior designated hitter Pat Knauth who finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Hartford now stands at 7-5 in America East play and 8-19 on the season.

Knauth was one of four players who finished with two hits, joined by Brady Sheetz, Ryan Lukach and Chris DelDebbio. Lukach and DelDebbio joined Adam Touhey in driving in the remaining runs.

On the hill, Hawks starter Sean Newcomb pitched 7.1 innings allowing just one run to score. The sophomore lefty gave up three hits and walked four batters while striking out seven Retrievers. Brian Murphy came out of the bullpen to finish the game, pitching the final five outs without allowing a run on two hits. Retrievers starter John Cohn suffered the loss, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits.    

Hartford opened the scoring in their half of the first inning utilizing a hit batter, a single, a wild pitch and a passed ball. With one out, Brian Estevez was hit on the elbow by the first pitch he saw and then advanced 90 feet on a single to left from Sheetz putting two runners on with one out. Both Estevez and Sheetz would then advance two bases on a pair of free passes, the first a wild pitch and the second a passed ball.

Hartford added three more runs in the fourth inning, providing Newcomb with a 4-0 cushion to work with. With one out in the inning, right fielder Ryan Lukach got a string of four straight hits that eventually knocked UMBC starter Jon Cohn out of the game. Cohn was making his first start of the season on Sunday, his ninth appearance overall.

Lukach's first hit of the game came in the fashion of a bunt down the third base line as he beat out the throw from Mark Esposito. DelDebbio, Touhey and Knauth followed with two-straight singles and a double down the right field line from Knauth. The single from Touhey and the two-bagger from Knauth recorded the RBI's with the latter of the two driving in a pair of runs.

The Hawks added two more insurance runs in the seventh, scattering three-straight hits on singles from James Alfonso, Sheetz and a double from Lukach. Sheetz began the offense with a single to left field with one out, before Alfonso sent his first hit of the game up the middle over a ducking reliever Stephen Chrzanowski. Lukach followed that up with his team-high eighth double of the year, a ground rule double to left center that allowed Sheetz to score and left two runners in scoring position. DelDebbio would then follow a pitching change that entered Cam Maxey for his third appearance of the weekend with a sacrifice fly to center field for his first RBI of the afternoon.

The Retrievers erased the shutout opportunity in the eighth inning forcing their only run across the plate. With one out recorded by Newcomb, Esposito reached on an infield single and eventually became the first run. Following his initial single, the third baseman advanced to second on a throwing error before a hit batter and a walk loaded the bases. He would then score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Jake Barnes.

The Hawks begin a long stretch on the road following this weekend's series against the Retrievers. Due to weather-related schedule changes earlier in the season, the Hawks will now play 15 of their next 17 dates on the road, with the only two home dates single mid-week games against Rhode Island (4/24) and Northeastern (5/7). The Hawks will play just one more home conference series on May 17 & 18 against Stony Brook. Next on the docket for the Hawks will be a single game against in-state rival Sacred Heart (Tuesday, April 9) at 3:30 p.m.