KINGSTON, R.I. – The University of Hartford baseball team extended its win streak to five-straight games with a 4-2 10-inning victory over the Rhode Island Rams on Wednesday at Bill Beck Field. Hartford improves to 23-14 overall, registering the most wins since 1992 when the Hawks finished 27-21.

Hartford spread 11 hits across their eighth extra-inning game with right fielder Ryan Lukach and shortstop Trey Stover leading the team with three each. The pair also drove in one run. Third baseman David MacKinnon and catcher James Alfonso also recorded a multi-hit game, each finishing with two hits with Alfonso's two extending his current hit streak to four games, the longest active streak on the team.

Defensively, the Hawks held URI to just three hits with Hartford using a bullpen approach on the hill. Sophomore right hander Sam McKay started for the Hawks, throwing three innings of scoreless ball, allowing just one hit. He also struck out a team-best three batters.

Senior Ryan Carter earned the victory for Hartford, pitching a pair of relief innings also without allowing a run on one hit. Classmate Alex Gouin collected his league-leading ninth save on the mound, closing out the 10th inning facing just three batters. He didn't allow a hit while striking out one. Jacob Mellin was tagged with allowing the Rams two runs, one of which was unearned, as he pitched two innings allowing one hit. Brian Stepniak also saw time in a relief roll, pitching two innings of hitless ball, facing two batters over his minimum.

Rhode Island broke the scoreless tie in the fifth innings scoring both of their runs in the same inning. Right fielder Dan Hetzel opened the offense with a triple to right field and eventually scored the first run of the game. Catcher Chase Livingstson, who originally reached base with a walk, would score the second run crossing the plate on a double steal.

The Hawks answered by tying the game in the next half inning before the teams strung together another three innings of scoreless ball. MacKinnon would lead off the top of the sixth with a double down the led field line, scoring on the next at bat as Lukach fired a single to right field. Alfonso extended the inning when he reached safely thanks to a fielding error at shortstop. That error cost Rams as Alfonso would score three batter later thanks to a single up the middle from Stover.

Hartford broke the stalemate with its two runs in the top of the 10th before turning the ball over to Gouin for the save. MacKinnon again became the first base runner of the inning when he singled to left field. Lukach followed that with a bunt single and both advanced into scoring position with a third straight single from Alfonso. MacKinnon would score the first run of the 10th thanks to an error by the catcher while Lukach crossed the plate with the assistance of a wild pitch.

The Hawks enter the second half of the 2014 league schedule with a three-game series on the road against the Binghamton Bearcats this weekend. The series will be the second of the season against Binghamton with the Hawks taking 2-of-3 when the league foe visited West Hartford. The Hawks and Bearcats are scheduled for a doubleheader on Saturday and a single game on Sunday with the first pitch on both days set for 12 p.m.