WORCESTER, Mass. - Centerfielder Chris DelDebbio drove in a pair of runs on a single to right center leading the University of Hartford baseball team to an 8-6 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders, in 11 innings, on Tuesday evening. The Hawks improve to 13-9 on the season and will host the Bryant Bulldogs on Wednesday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 3:50 p.m.

As a team, Hartford finished with 11 hits with first baseman Brady Sheetz and catcher James Alfonso joining DelDebbio in leading the way with two each. Alfonso also drove in a pair of runs with his second hit of the game a two-run home run to left field driving in Sheetz who combined with him to start the eighth inning with back-to-back hits.

The Hawks used five pitchers with sophomore Kyle Guathier earning his second victory of the season pitching a pair of relief innings without allowing a hit facing, seven total batters. Freshman David Drouin started and pitched the first three innings before turning the game over to the Bullpen. Drouin allowed three runs on three hits with only one of those runs earned.

Brian Stepniak, Sam McKay and Jeremy Charles all pitched two innings of middle relief. Stepniak and McKay each allowed runs with Stepniak giving up one earned run while McKay allowed two runs, one of which was earned. Drouin and Gauthier each finished with two strikeouts to lead the team.

The Hawks would work from behind early in the game, giving up a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning. Hartford would cut that deficit in half and then erase a 3-1 deficit by taking its first lead of the game 4-3 in the top of the fifth. Second baseman Aaron Wilson would pick up the Hawks first RBI of the game when he sacrificed himself to drive in Sheetz who originally reached on an infield single.

Two of the Hawks three runs in the fifth inning came thanks to mistakes on the hill with wild pitches allowing John LaRossa and Wilson to score. The go-ahead run came on another sacrifice, this time as leftfielder Adam Touhey gave himself up to drive in Dalton Ruch whose hit earlier in the inning loaded the bases. After giving up single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh, the Hawks pushed two runs across in the eighth inning to tie the game at six and eventually force extra frames.