PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Freshman third baseman David MacKinnon extended his hit streak to five-straight games, while driving in all three of the Hawks runs as the University of Hartford baseball team dropped a 4-3 decision to Rutgers on Friday afternoon. Hartford falls to 17-12 overall and will continue its series with Rutgers on Saturday with the first pitch at 1 p.m.

The Hawks finished with seven total hits with MacKinnon joined by catcher James Alfonso and right fielder Ryan Lukach in leading the team with two hits apiece. Leftfielder Adam Touhey added the final Hartford hit. MacKinnon's three RBI's is the second time in the last three games the rookie utility player has driven in three runs.

On the mound, reliever Alex Gouin suffered the loss giving up a pair of earned runs in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Scarlet Knights completed the come-from-behind victory. Sophomore Kyle Gauthier started for Hartford, pitching four innings. He would be tabbed with one run, earned, on five hits. Sam McKay pitched a trio of middle innings without allowing a run on one hit. Reliever Jeremy Charles would allow the second Scarlet Knights run in the eighth inning, an unearned run.

Rutgers would put the first notch on the scoreboard with a single run in the third inning using a pair of hits, including a leadoff single up the middle from shortstop Pat Sweeney. After a sacrifice from catcher R.J. Devish pushed Sweeney into scoring position, the infielder was able to score from second thanks to a double down the right field line off the bat of centerfielder Mike Carter.

The Hawks answered by scoring two of their own runs thanks to three-straight hits with two outs in the top of the fourth. Alfonso sparked the offensive outburst with a single up the middle followed by another single this one from Lukach. MacKinnon then sent his first hit of the game into left centerfield allowing Alfonso to score from second and Lukach to wheel home from 270 feet away.

After seven straight zeroes were entered on the scoreboard the Hawks broke the scoreless streak with a single run in the top of the eighth inning with Alfonso, Lukach and MacKinnon again combining to add to the Hartford tally. Alfonso led off the eighth inning with his second hit of the game, another single up the middle. This time Lukach came to the plate to sacrifice himself on a sacrifice bunt that pushed Alfonso into scoring position. MacKinnon then stepped to the plate and sent his second double of the game down the left field line allowing Alfonso to score.

The Scarlet Knights protected their home field by cutting the Hartford lead to a single run with an eighth inning run that was made possible thanks to a Hawk error that extended the inning. The home team then completed the come-back with a pair of hits in the bottom of the ninth off the Hawks closer, Gouin.