DURHAM, N.C. – Senior right fielder Ryan Lukach finished with a triple and a home run while driving in three runs to lead the University of Hartford baseball team to a 6-0 shutout of Delaware State, closing out the Duke Baseball Classic and the opening weekend of the season with a 2-1 record.

Lukach finished the game going 2-of-3 at the plate with his three RBI matching his early season high set yesterday in the Hawks 12-1 rout of Iona. Overall, the Hawks scattered nine total hits with junior catcher Billy Walker and senior shortstop Trey Stover joining Lukach in the team lead with two hits apiece.

On the hill, the Hawks were led by junior right hander Sam McKay who pitched a four-hit shutout over six innings in his first start of the season. McKay faced just four batters over his minimum, stranding all four of those Delaware singles on the base paths. Redshirt sophomore John McGinty and junior Jeremy Charles closed out the game pitching three hitless innings in relief.  

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

·       Senior outfielder Ryan Lukach drove in three runs for the second time at the Duke Baseball Classic, leading the Hawks to a 6-0 shutout of Delaware State. Lukach's three RBI came as he went 2-of-3 at the plate with both of those hits going for extra bases on a triple and the Hawks second yard ball of the season, a solo shot in the third inning.

·       The Hawks first home run of the year came one inning prior when designate hitter Chris DelDebbio sent a pitch over the leftfield fence for a two-out solo homer.

·       Hartford outhit their second opponent of the season finishing with a 9-4 advantage thanks to two hits each from Lukach, junior catcher Billy Walker and senior shortstop Trey Stover.

·       Junior right hander Sam McKay pitched six innings in his first start of the year, giving up four hits to the Hornets. McKay faced only four batters over his minimum and finished with six strikeouts, tying his career high set as a freshman against Quinnipiac.

·       Relievers John McGinty and Jeremy Charles closed out the final three innings without allowing a hit from Delaware State, securing the Hawks first shutout of the season. Both McGinty and Charles struck out two batters while they combined with McKay to not give up a free pass either by walk or hit batter.

HOW THEY SCORED

·       The Hawks started the scoring early as they plated three runs in the bottom of the first inning, two of which came courtesy of the first triple of the season off the bat of redshirt senior Ryan Lukach. That one swing of the bat drove in freshman leftfielder Nick Campana, who originally doubled down the left field line to reach base, and sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon who walked to put a pair of runners on with one out. Lukach had his favor returned on the next at bat when freshman third baseman TJ Ward sacrificed himself to allow Lukach to score on a fly ball to right field.  

·       Junior centerfielder Chris DelDebbio broke up three groundouts to shortstop by driving in a single run on a solo home run to left field.

·       Another solo home run would provide the Hawks fourth run of the game, this time with Lukach providing the muscle as he sailed a one-out 3-2 pitch over the right field fence.

·       Hartford's final run of the game came in the fourth inning as another freshman sacrificed himself for the team when Campana drove in senior shortstop Trey Stover who originally led off the inning with a single to right field. After stealing second, Stover advanced into scoring position on a fly ball to right field off the bat of Dalton Ruch.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       For the third game in a row, Hartford had at least two players finished with at least two hits with senior Ryan Lukach leading the way going 2-of-3 at the plate. Joining him with two hits for Hartford was junior catcher Billy Walker and senior shortstop Trey Stover.

·       Lukach finished his second game of the season with three RBI, the most by a single Hawk so far this season.

·       Lukach and junior centerfielder Chris DelDebbio drilled the Hawks first home runs of the season as each sailed solo shots over the fence in separate innings. The home run for DelDebbio, which came in the second inning, is his third career long ball, while Lukach drilled his 12th home run of the season over the right field fence in the third inning. Last season, Lukach was tied with graduated senior James Alfonso for the team lead with five home runs.

·       Hartford posted its first shutout of the season against Delaware, fresh off a season where they shutout seven opponents. You would need to combine the seven previous years to collect seven shutouts combined for the Hawks.  

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       Redshirt senior outfielder Ryan Lukach finished with a triple, a home run and 3 RBI to lead the Hawks against Delaware State.

·       Junior pitcher Sam McKay tied his career-high with six strikeouts in six innings of work, earning his first victory of the year.

·       Joining Lukach in the home run category was junior centerfielder Chris DelDebbio who drilled a solo shot in the second inning.

UP NEXT
The Hawks will travel to Davenport Field at the University of Virginia for two games each against the host Cavaliers and the Big East's Seton Hall Pirates next weekend. Hartford opens the three-day trip to Virginia with a pair of games on Friday, February 27, first against the Pirates at 12 p.m. and then against Virginia at 4 p.m.