VESTAL, N.Y.  – The University of Hartford baseball team split a pair of games against the Binghamton Bearcats on Saturday afternoon at the Bearcats Sports Complex. The Hawks posted a 9-1 victory in the opening game before falling 13-3 in the nightcap. Hartford improves to 24-15 overall and 10-3 in the America East.

Sophomore centerfielder Chris DelDebbio led the Hawks at the plate, driving in four runs as he was also one of four players to finish the day with four hits. All nine of the Hawks starters finished with at least one hit over the two games. Joining DelDebbio is providing the offense was senior catcher James Alfonso who along with DelDebbio drove in three runs in the opener.

Two of Alfonso's RBI's came on a home run over the left field fence in the fourth inning providing what would turn out to be the game-winning run. DelDebbio added single RBI's in the fifth, sixth and seventh as he strung together three hits, two doubles and a single up the middle driving in a run on all three.

DelDebbio's three hits tied Alfonso and first baseman Brady Sheetz in leading the squad with the Hawks spreading 16 total hits across the game. Infielder's Aaron Wilson and David MacKinnon also compiled a multi-hit game, each finishing with a pair of hits, while Sheetz joined both of the in driving in one run apiece.

All of the Hawks runs came in a four-inning span with Alfonso's two-run home run starting things off. His team leading third long ball of the season drove in MacKinnon who originally reached thanks to a Bearcats error.

Hartford sandwiched a single run in the sixth by a pair of three run innings in the fifth and seventh, taking a 9-0 advantage before the Bearcats mustered their lone run in their half of the seventh. Four straight hits highlighted the fifth inning while in the seventh Hartford totaled six hits including a series of three in a row, beginning with a doubles from Alfonso to lead off the inning.

On the mound, junior lefthander Sean Newcomb earned his fourth victory of the season pitching six scoreless innings. He would scatter three hits while walking a pair of batters and punching out five. Jeremy Charles and Ryan Carter each saw time in relief of Newcomb with Charles credited with allowing the Bearcats run on four hits in two innings of work. Jack Rogalla suffered the Binghamton loss allowing six runs, five earned, on 10 hits in 5-2/3 innings of work.

In the second game, Hartford struck first with a single run in the second inning before adding two more single runs in the third and fifth innings of the shortened game. Binghamton responded to that initial Hartford run by scoring five runs in its half of the second inning before adding four more runs in the fifth and sixth to secure the victory.

Three Hawks finished with two hits each in game two to lead the way with MacKinnon and Walker joining right fielder Ryan Lukach. Walker also added a pair of RBI with DelDebbio adding his fourth of the day in the second inning when he drove in Sheetz who originally led off the inning with an infield single.

Starter Brian Hunter suffered the loss on the hill in game two, allowing nine runs, all earned, on eight hits in four innings of work. He also struck out three batters. Brian Stepniak and Austin Barnes also saw time in relief with Stepniak allowing four runs on six hits while only recording one out.

Hartford and Binghamton will close out the series with a single game on Sunday afternoon with the first pitch at the Bearcats Sports Complex set for 12 p.m. All of the action on Sunday will be streamed live on the America East Digital Network at AmericaEast.tv.