WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford baseball team dropped its final non-conference and home game in 2014 by a 5-1 final to the visiting Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils on Tuesday afternoon in front of a crowd of 1,045 at Fiondella Field. The Hawks falls to 29-19 overall, while CCSU improves to 24-18 on the season.

Hartford was led by freshman third baseman David MacKinnon and junior first baseman Brady Sheetz who combined for four of the five total hits. Sheetz also drove in the lone Hawk run when he pushed MacKinnon across the plate with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The Hawks only other hit came from right fielder Ryan Lukach as senior catcher James Alfonso finished without a hit in four attempts breaking a 14-game hit streak, the longest of the season for all Hartford players.

A total of 12 different pitchers saw time for both teams in the game with Hartford using five hurlers. Sophomore right hander Brian Murphy started for the Hawks. He pitched 3.2 innings and gave up two runs, both earned, on five hits with a pair of walks and one strike, suffering his fourth loss of the season.

John McGinty, Austin Barnes, Brian Stepniak and Ryan Carter combined to pitch the final 5.1 innings against the Blue Devils. Barnes and Carter would be tagged with allowing runs, Barnes giving up two runs in 1.2 innings of work and Carter allowing the final run in the ninth inning. CCSU finished with 11 total hits.

Hartford will close out its 51-game regular season scheduled with a three-game set against the Stony Brook Seawolves this coming weekend. The Hawks enter the series one game behind the Seawolves for the top spot in the league standings, needing to take 2-of-3 this weekend to earn the regular season crown. The series is scheduled to open with a doubleheader on Friday at 12 p.m.