WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – Redshirt senior Ryan Lukach drilled a team-high three hits, including his league-leading fifth home run of the season as the University of Hartford baseball team dropped an 8-5 decision to the visiting Quinnipiac Bobcats on Tuesday afternoon.

Two of Lukach's three hits went for extra bases with his second hit of the afternoon an RBI double down the right field line. In addition to his three hits, Lukach led the Hawks with two RBI. Sophomore David MacKinnon and senior Trey Stover joined Lukach in leading the Hawks bats, each finishing with two hits, part of eight total for Hartford. The pair also drove in one run apiece.

Suffering his first loss of the season was rookie Kevin Tise who in his first collegiate start gave up six runs, five of which were earned, on five hits over two innings of work. Classmate Jake Regula was one of two Hawks relievers who held the Bobcats scoreless over a total of four innings. With his two innings of shutout ball on Tuesday, Regula has now held opponents scoreless over 6.2 straight innings, spanning three appearances.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

·       Redshirt senior Ryan Lukach led the Hawks bats with three hits in four at bats while driving in two runs. Two of Lukach's hits went for extra bases, an RBI double down the right field line in the fifth and a solo home run to right center in the eighth.

·       Two other Hawks finished with multiple hits in the game, sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon and senior shortstop Trey Stover. The two hits for MacKinnon extends his team-leading hitting streak to a career-high 10 straight games, while extending his team lead in the hits column to 37 total in 2015.

·       Two Hawks hurlers combined to pitch four scoreless innings against the Bobcats. Freshman Jake Regula pitched a pair of middle innings of relief, and has now held opponents without scoring for 6.2 straight innings over his last three outings. Joining him in holding Quinnipiac scoreless was junior Jake Mellin who pitched the final two innings.

·       Suffering his first loss of the season was freshman Kevin Tise who made his first start of the year. Tise pitched two innings and was tagged with six runs, five of which were earned, on five hits, while walking two batters and striking out a pair.

HOW THEY SCORED

·       Facing an early 4-0 deficit, the Hawks began to chip into Quinnipiac's lead with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Freshman Erik Ostberg would score the first run after originally reaching base on a fielder's choice. Ostberg would score from third base thanks to senior Trey Stover who provided the second hit of the inning, a double to center field. Stover, who took third on the attempt at home on Ostberg scored on the next at bat with freshman Justin Ganca picked up his first RBI of the season on an infield groundout.

·       The Hawks added two more runs in the fifth inning. Sophomore second baseman Dalton Ruch opened up the frame with his first hit of the game, a double down the left field line. An RBI single from David MacKinnon, his second hit of the game, drove in Ruch from second base. After a walk put runners on first and second, MacKinnon would score thanks to an RBI double down the line in right field from right fielder Ryan Lukach.

·       Lukach continued his hot bat driving in the Hawks final run of the game in the eighth inning with a solo home run over the wall in right center.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       With two hits against the Bobcats, sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon extended his team-leading hitting streak to 10 straight games, a career-long hitting streak.

·       Right fielder Ryan Lukach's three hits is the second time this season he has scattered three hits in the same game, while he has driven in two or more runs in 10 games.

·       The two RBI for Lukach put his season total at 28, extending his already league-lead in that category.

·       The home run for Lukach was his team-leading fifth of the season, which is also a league leading number.

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       Senior Ryan Lukach drilled his team and league-leading fifth home run of the season over the wall in right center field.

·       SR Ryan Lukach led the Hawks bats with his 2nd three-hit game of the year. Two of those hits went for extra bases as he drove in two runs.

·       Sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon scattered two hits against Quinnipiac, his 10th straight game with at least one hit.

·       Freshman Jake Regula held the Bobcats scoreless over two innings, extending his shutout streak to just shy of seven innings.

UP NEXT
Hartford will travel north in Interstate 91 for their second midweek game when they take on the UMass Minutemen on Wednesday afternoon. First pitch from Amherst, Mass. is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Earl Lorden Field.