WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford baseball team opened its home and conference scheduled with a doubleheader split against the UMBC Retrievers on Saturday afternoon at Fiondella Field. The Hawks dropped the opening game by a 6-1 margin, but rebounded for a 5-2 victory in the nightcap.  A pair of Hawks finished the day with four hits, including sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch who led the Hawks bats in the victory going a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate while driving in a run.

Joining Campana with a hot bat was freshman leftfielder Nick Campana who finished with two hits in each of the two games, extending his season-high in multi-hit games to eight, including three straight and four of the last five. Campana also drove in a run. Senior right fielder Ryan Lukach helped lead Hartford in the second game as he finished 2-of-3 with a pair of RBI. Senior shortstop Trey Stover also finished with two RBI, one in each of the games.

On the hill, right handed starter Sam McKay earned a complete game victory in the second game of the day as he allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out one and walking a pair. The victory for McKay is his team-leading third of the season while the complete game outing is his first of the year.

Junior starter Kyle Gauthier suffered the defeat in the opening game as he gave up four runs, all earned, on six hits in eight innings of work. He also struck out four batters while walking a pair. Reliever Jacob Mellin closed out the first game, allowing two runs on four hits while also striking out one.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

·       The Hawks took advantage of a pair of UMBC errors in the opening game which set up senior shortstop Trey Stover to drive in Hartford's only run. Junior designated hitter Chris DelDebbio opened up the inning reaching on a fielding error at first base on a routine groundout. DelDebbio then took advantage of a failed pickoff attempt, advancing two bases as the ball found its way down the wall in right field. With DelDebbio at third, Stover dropped a low line drive single into right field that allowed DelDebbio to score easily from third, breaking up the Retrievers shutout bid.

·       Freshman leftfielder Nick Campana splits his at bats going 2-of-4 in the opening game, securing his team-leading seventh multi-hit game of the season, all two-hit games. 

·       Campana's two hits were part of five total for the Hawks as Stover joined infielders David MacKinnon and Dalton Ruch, who all finished with one hit. The lone hit for Ruch, which came with one out in the eighth inning, was Hartford only extra base hit of the game, a double to left field.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

·       Hartford scored early and often in the second game of the afternoon, putting up single runs in the first, third, and fifth innings, while adding two in the fourth.

·       Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch finished 3-3 with an RBI and a run scored. All three of Ruch's hits were singles as he completed the first three-base hit of his career, which is also the third overall for the team.

·       Senior right fielder Ryan Lukach opened the second game going 2-of-2 at the plate, finishing with two hits in three at bats. Both of his hits led to RBI's as he drove in the Hawks first and second runs of the game. In the first inning, Lukach drove in junior center fielder Aaron Wilson who led off the inning with a walk. In the third, Lukach followed a one out single up the middle from sophomore David MacKinnon with a single to deep right center which allowed MacKinnon to wheel home from first, giving the Hawks a 2-0 edge.

·       Freshman Nick Campana completed his second two-hit game of the day, going 2-of-4 at the plate in the nightcap, while also driving in a run. His RBI was the second for Hartford in the fourth inning as Ruch drove in the first run on his second hit, a single up the middle.

·       Freshman third baseman TJ Ward was one of four Hawks who finished with one hit in the game, with hit knock being the only extra base hit of the game for the Hawks, a double to right centerfield that led off the fourth inning.

·       Junior starter Sam McKay earned his team-leading third victory of the season with his first complete game victory of the year. McKay gave up two runs, one earned, on six hits for the Hawks first league victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       Freshman Nick Campana finished the day 4-for-8, scattering two hits in each of the two games. He has now finished with two hits in eight games, a team-high for multi-hit games. It is also his third-straight game with two hits and the fourth in the last five.

·       Sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon continued his team-high hit streak, extending it to six games with one hit in each of the two games. For the day, MacKinnon was 2-of-7 and scored one run.

·       With one hit in each of the two games on Sunday, senior shortstop Trey Stover has now reached safely in each of the last nine games. During that stretch, Stover is 4-of-13 at the plate with three RBI and four walks. Included in those four hits is a double and a triple, while for the season, the infielder currently leads the starters with a .370 batting average (1o-of-27).

·       Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch finished a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate in the second game of the day, the first three-hit game of his career. It is also the third time this season a Hawk has finished with three hits.

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       Freshman Nick Campana finished with two hits in each of the two games, his team-leading eighth multi-hit game.

·       The Hawks outhit UMBC 11-6 in the second game to earn their first league victory, 5-2.

·       Sophomore infielder Dalton Ruch finished a perfect 3-of-3 at the plate in game two, a career-high in hits.

·       Junior starter Sam McKay earned his team-high third victory of the season, pitching his first complete game of the year.

·       Sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon extended his team-high hitting streak to six straight games, finishing with one hit in each game.

UP NEXT
Hartford and UMBC will conclude the three-game conference opening series on Monday afternoon with a 12 p.m. first pitch scheduled at Fiondella Field. The Hawks will turn to junior right hander Sam McKay to close out the series on the hills. The series finale will be broadcast live on AmericaEast.TV.