WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Junior first baseman Brady Sheetz made an impressive defensive play to protect the tie in the top of the ninth and then drove in Adam Touhey in the bottom of the 12th all leading to a University of Hartford walk-off win over Sacred Heart, 7-6, on Tuesday. Hartford improves to 17-10 overall in 2014.

Sheetz finished the game with just one hit but it proved to be the most important as he blasted a shot into the base of the fence in left center field allowing Touhey to score from first for the walk-off victory. Both hits, a single from Touhey and Sheetz's two-bagger, came with two outs in the books. The walk-off victory is the second for the Hawks at Fiondella Field in 2014 with the first coming against the UConn Huskies on March 25.

The Hawks finished with nine total hits against Sacred Heart, erasing what was once a 5-0 deficit after the Pioneers opened the game with four hits in the top of the first leading to five runs. Three of those runs came courtesy of a home run down the left field line from designated hitter Matt Charmello.

Leading the Hawks at the plate was third baseman David MacKinnon who finished 3-of-5, while driving in three runs, tying Charmello for the game-high. His first hit of the afternoon came in his first at-bat in the second inning as he drove in the first run of the game. He then knocked in a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth, tying the game at six, eventually forcing the extra frames. Hartford has now needed extra innings to decide seven games, posting a 5-2 record in those contests.

On the hill, the Hawks used six different arms with reliever Ryan Carter, a senior co-captain, earning the victory in his first decision of the year. Carter pitched a one hit 12th inning, striking out one batter. Brian Murphy opened the game and pitched just one inning allowing all five of the first inning runs, all of which were earned.

Middle relievers Jacob Mellin and Jeremy Charles combined for seven innings and together allowed just one run on two hits. Mellin pitched four of those innings with both hits and the one run to his credit, while Charles threw three innings without allowing a hit and striking out a team-high three batters. Sam McKay and John McGinty also saw time in relief, with McKay pitching a pair of innings, stranding three runners on the bases in that stretch.

The Hawks first three runs came in the second inning, cutting the Pioneers lead to two. In addition to MacKinnon, John LaRossa and Brian Estevez each drove in runs in the inning. Hartford would then tie the game in the sixth innings with Chris DelDebbio recording a sacrifice fly which allowed Touhey to score before MacKinnon's two RBI single to left knotted the game at six.

The Hawks threatened to end the game in the 11th with back-to-back hits with two outs. Pioneers reliever Nick Leiningen would force pinch hitter Joe Roberti into an infield groundout, erasing MacKinnon at second base. Leiningen wouldn't be able to do the same in the 12th as he suffered his third loss when Sheetz pushed his double off the end of the bat allowing Touhey to score from 270 feet away.

The Hawks return to Fiondella Field for their fifth game in four days when they host the Quinnipiac Bobcats in a game that was moved from the Bobcats home field to West Hartford. First pitch for Wednesday's game is scheduled for 3 p.m.