PHOTO GALLERY
WEST HARTFORD, Conn. - Freshman third baseman Ben Bengtson finished 2-for-4 with an RBI to lead the University of Hartford baseball team as it dropped a midweek battle with the Holy Cross Crusaders by a 3-1 margin on Tuesday afternoon at Fiondella Field.
Bengtson's two hits were part of six total for the Hawks with the remaining four all coming from different players. Among the six total hits were three-straight to lead off the third inning, with the latter of those a single up the middle from Bengtson that drove in sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch who also singled up the middle. All six of the Hawks hits were singles.
Suffering the loss on the hill for the Hawks was sophomore starter Brian Stepniak, who in one inning of work allowed two runs on three hits with a walk and a strikeout. Junior reliever Austin Barnes was tagged with allowing the remaining Holy Cross run, while freshman Jake Regula and junior Jacob Mellin combined to throw five scoreless innings to close out the game. Mellin and Barnes led the four Hawks hurlers with two strikeouts each, while the staff combined for six total punch outs.
GAME HIGHLIGHTS
Freshman corner infielder Ben Bengtson completed his sixth multi-hit game of the season finishing with a pair of singles in four at bats. His first hit of the game, a single up the middle in the third inning drove in Hartford lone run of the game. The six multi-hit games for Bengtson ties him for the second most on the team. Bengtson also shined defensively, showing off his arm to assist in six putouts.
Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch extended the only active hitting streak entering the game to seven straight games as he began the third inning with a single up the middle and would eventually become the runner driven in by Bengtson. Ruch's seven game hitting streak is a career-long.
On the hill, the Hawks bullpen combined to pitch eight innings and allowed just one run, with the final two hurlers for the Hawks, freshman Jake Regula and junior Jacob Mellin, uniting to throw five scoreless innings, holding the Crusaders to three runs, two below their season average.
Hartford's bullpen also combine to pick off two Holy Cross runners on Tuesday, the fourth and fifth pickoffs of the season for the Hawks pitching staff. The first of those pickoffs came from Regula on a throw over to first, while Mellin combined with shortstop Trey Stover for a pick off at second base that ended the Crusaders half of the ninth inning.
HOW THEY SCORED
Hartford's lone run came in the third inning, thanks to three straight hits to lead off the inning. Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch opened up the bottom half of the frame with a single up the middle that extended his active hitting streak to seven games. He advanced to second on the next at bat as rookie John LaRossa snuck a hit under the glove of a diving first baseman leaving runners on first and second. Freshman third baseman Ben Bengtson continued the hits with his first of two knocks in the game, this one a single up the middle that allowed Ruch to score from second and put the Hawks on the board.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS
Freshman infielder Ben Bengtson secured his sixth multi-hit game of the season with two hits in four at bats while driving in a run. He is now tied for second on the team in multi-hit games, while RBI for the rookie was his 10th of the season, second most on the team.
Hartford's bullpen combined to throw eight innings of relief and allowed just one Holy Cross run in that stretch. They also united for five strikeouts and a pair of pick offs, the fourth and fifth of the season for the Hawks pitching staff.
Sophomore middle infielder Dalton Ruch extended his hitting streak to seven straight games, a career-high and the only active hitting streak on the team.
TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)
Sophomore Dalton Ruch extended what is now a team-high hitting streak to seven straight games with a single up the middle in the third.
Freshman Ben Bengtson led the Hawks bats with two hits in four at bats, while driving in his 10th run of the season.
FR Jake Regula and junior Jacob Mellin each picked off a runner, their first of the season, while the Hawks have five total for the year.
UP NEXT
The University of Hartford baseball team will play its first game on the road since March 11 with an addition to the schedule, a single game at Yale on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch at Yale Field in New Haven, Conn. is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
