LOWELL, Mass. – The University of Hartford baseball team dropped a 10-6 decision to the top-seeded Stony Brook Seawolves on Friday night and will now play the third-seed Binghamton Bearcats in an elimination game on Saturday at 2 p.m. Leading the Hawks against Stony Brook was senior catcher James Alfonso who finished with three hits in five at bats while also driving in one of the runs.

Alfonso was one of five players to finished with a multi-hit game with center fielder Chris DelDebbio, right fielder Ryan Lukach, third baseman David MacKinnon and short stop Trey Stover all chipping in two hits. As a team, Hartford scattered 14 hits, leading both teams, including five in the final frame as the Hawks mounted a come-back but couldn't erase what was a seven run deficit.

Senior Brian Hunter suffered the loss on the hill, pitching six and one-third innings in his first postseason start. The right hander was tagged for six runs, five of which were earned, on nine hits and five walks. He also struck out four batters. Reliever Brian Stepniak would be charged with allowing the remaining four Seawolves runs as he worked the eighth inning. Two of the four runs were earned, while he gave up three hits.

Hartford got on the board first with a single run in the second inning. Alfonso led off the inning with a double that hit off the left field wall. Two batters later designated hitter Billy Walker poked his only hit of the game up the middle, which allowed Alfonso to score from second, swinging his arm around the tag for the run.

The Seawolves didn't let that lead last long as they took their first and only lead in the top of the third, playing small ball before a single to right centerfield from first baseman Kevin Courtney knocked in pair of runs erasing the deficit. Joshua Mason and Robert Chavarria, who both singled to reach base, scored the runs after Chavarria put himself in scoring position using a stolen base on the second out of the inning which came by way of a strikeout from Hunter.

The Hawks threatened to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth inning, taking advantage of a pair of Seawolves errors that left runners at the corners with two outs. Alfonso then sailed a blooper into shallow right field that looked to fall in but was picked off with a diving catch.

Stony Brook added four runs in the top of the seventh inning to take a 6-2 lead before Hartford responded by taking two of them back in their half of the frame. The first of those runs came as MacKinnon sent a ball back up the middle that took a funny bounce which allowed DelDebbio to score from second after reaching with a one-out single through the left side.

A fielder's choice off the bat of Lukach drove in the second run as Wilson scored from third as the Seawolves were unable to turn a double play. Wilson originally walked to reach base, putting runners at first and second following DelDebbio's single. The Hawks would then leave the bases loaded after a single from Alfonso and a walk issued to Brady Sheetz.

Stony Brook extended its lead to the largest of the night scoring four more runs in the top of the eighth inning while Hartford would only be able to erase three runs of the seven-run deficit in the bottom of the ninth. That rally included five singles and a pair of fielder's choices with Alfonso, Sheetz and Stover all recording RBI's in the inning.

Hartford and Binghamton will meet in the second elimination game of the tournament at 2 p.m. on Saturday afternoon. In the first game on Friday, the Bearcats knocked the fourth seeded Maine Black Bears out of the championship. The winner of the Hawks and Bearcats battle will advance to face the Seawolves in a title match at 6 p.m. on Saturday. If needed a seventh game is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.