WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch was one of two Hawks who finished with three hits, while he drove in a pair of runs to lead the University of Hartford baseball team to a 10-5 series opening victory over Maine on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks and Black Bears are scheduled to close out the series on Sunday with a doubleheader tipping off a noon.

Senior shortstop Trey Stover joined Ruch in finishing the contest with three hits, both matching their season highs. Of the pair, Ruch put up the better average with his three knocks coming on four at bats, while Stover finished 3-of-5. Ruch also led the pair with two RBI, while he joined senior right fielder Ryan Lukach in leading the RBI column with two each. Lukach's two RBI came on a single swing of the bat as he drove in freshman third baseman Ben Bengtson on his fourth home run of the season over the fence in right center field.

Hawks starter, junior Kyle Gauthier, earned his second victory of the season, pitching a seven inning outing. The right hander gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, facing 26 total batters. Gauther also finished with a trio of punch-outs. Junior reliever Jeremy Charles pitched the final two innings out of the bullpen. Charles was tagged with two runs on two hits while walking a pair and matching Gauthier with three strikeouts.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

·       The Hawks middle infield led Hartford at the plate as sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch and senior shortstop Trey Stover each finished with three hits, six of the Hawks 15 total in the game. Ruch led the pair going 3-of-4, while also knocking in two runs, while Stover finished 3-of-5 and scored a run. Both Ruch and Stover matched their season best with their three hit outing.

·       Senior outfielder Ryan Lukach muscled his way to a pair of RBI as he drove in two runs on his team-leading fourth home run of the season. That two-run blast for Lukach came in the sixth inning, part of a four-run spot the Hawks put the Hawks ahead 8-3 through six innings.

·       Freshman third baseman Ben Bengtson and sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon also finished with multiple hits on the afternoon, each scattering a pair, while also knocking in one run apiece. Bengtson's RBI came in the fourth inning as he drove in the go-ahead run on a single through the left side. MacKinnon added his RBI in the eighth inning as he drove in Bengtson on a double that slipped down the left field line to the fence.

·       Junior right handed starter Kyle Gauthier pitched a seven inning, three run outing for his second victory and the first for Gauthier in league play. Over his seven inning performance, Gauthier gave up six hits with two of the three runs allowed earned. He also finished with three strikeouts and walked one batter.

HOW THEY SCORED

·       Facing a three-run deficit, the Hawks began chipping away at that Maine lead with a single run in the second inning, taking advantage of a first-pitch hit batter that allowed Ryan Lukach to become the Hawks first base runner of the game. Lukach was then able to score thanks in part to two errors. The first was a fielding miscue at third base that loaded the bases for the Hawks. The second error came on the next at bat as Chris DelDebbio lined out to the pitcher, but as the Black Bears looked to double up the Hawks on the play, Maine's catcher sent an errant throw to first base that allowed Lukach to score from third.

·       A three-run fourth inning erased the remainder of the deficit and gave the Hawks their first and only needed lead of the game at 4-3. Lukach would again tip off the inning by getting hit by a pitch, with that followed by back-to-back singles from Trey Stover and Erik Ostberg with the latter driving in Lukach for the second run of the game. Two more singles in the inning provided two more RBIs with infielders Dalton Ruch and Ben Bengtson driving in Stover and Ostberg, with Bengtson's RBI leading to the go-ahead run.

·       Hartford added to that lead with four runs in the sixth inning, all off of Maine's first relief pitcher of the afternoon, Logan Fullmer. The first four batters of the inning would all reach safely, three of which thanks to singles from Billy Walker, Ruch and Nick Campana. The last of those hits from Campana drove in the first run, while Ruch was able to score on a double play ball off the bat of David MacKinnon, which left Bengston sitting at third with two outs. That set up Lukach who drilled his fourth home run of the season over the fence in right field, providing an 8-3 Hartford lead.

·       The Hawks added two more insurance runs, one in the seven and one in the eighth with Ruch and MacKinnon providing the RBI. Ruch's RBI came on his third hit of the game, a single to centerfield that allowed DelDebbio to score from second after reaching on a single and stealing second. MacKinnon's RBI came in the eighth inning as his double down the leftfield line drove in Bengtson who led off the inning with a single to center. MacKinnon's double joined Lukach's home run as the only extra base hits among the Hawks 15 total knocks.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       Freshman Nick Campana extended his current team-high hitting streak to eight games, finishing 1-for-5 with an RBI against the Black Bears.

·       Senior shortstop Trey Stover also extended a hitting streak, now at six-straight games, as he matched his season-high with three hits in five at bats.

·       Senior outfielder Ryan Lukach drilled his team-leading fourth home run of the season, which also extends his America East lead as the next closest in the league has one home run.

·       Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch also tied a season-high as he finished with three hits, while also driving in two runs.

·       Hartford's 15 total hits against the Black Bears is a season high, the second-straight game and sixth time this year the Hawks have finished with 10 or more hits.

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       Senior Ryan Lukach sent his @AmericaEast leading fourth home run of the season over the fence in right field, a two run blast.

·       Sophomore 2B Dalton Ruch and senior SS Trey Stover each finished with a team-high three hits, matching season highs for both.

·       Freshman 3B Nick Campana extended his team-high hitting streak to eight straight games with a single against the Black Bears.

UP NEXT
The Hawks and Black Bears are scheduled to close out the three-game league series with a doubleheader on Sunday at Fiondella Field. First pitch in the twinbill is scheduled for 12 p.m.