ORONO, Maine. – Redshirt senior Ryan Lukach drove in five runs and sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon scattered three hits as the University of Hartford baseball team closed out its three-game series against the Maine Black Bears with a 1-2 record, winning the final game of the series 6-3 in 12 innings. Hartford dropped both ends of a twin bill on Saturday by matching 4-3 decisions.

Lukach drove in at least one run in all three games and has now had at least one RBI in each of the last four. The right fielder capped off the weekend with a three RBI performance in the series finale on Sunday as he finished 1-of-3 at the plate while also reaching base when he was hit by a pitch and on an error in the 12th inning, eventually scoring an insurance run in the victory.

MacKinnon's six hits led all Hawks at the plate as he finished the weekend series with a .500 batting average. The first baseman finished with at least one hit in all three games, extending his team-high hitting streak to a career-high 14-straight games. Joining him in leading the Hawks hitting was freshman outfielder Nick Campana who finished with five hits and a .417 batting average while driving in one run.

Also among the leading batters for the three-game series was junior Chris DelDebbio who finished with a .500 batting average with four hits in eight at bats over two of the three games. He also finished with two RBI, one of which came in the Hawks 12th inning rally in the series finale on Sunday. Freshman Justin Ganca, who started all three games as the designated hitter, also drove in two runs, one in each end of the Saturday afternoon doubleheader

On the mound, Hartford was led by three relievers who all finished without allowing a run, holding the Black Bears scoreless for a total of 6.2 innings. Leading the trio was junior Jeremy Charles who pitched four scoreless innings in the series finale. Earning the lone victory on the weekend was reliever Austin Barnes who combined with Charles to hold Maine without a run over the final six innings. Barnes pitched the 11th and 12th innings in the victory, giving up one hit and walking one batter while striking out a pair. Leading the way in the strikeout column was Charles and the Hawks Sunday starter Brian Murphy who each finished with three punch outs.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS

·       Hartford finished with six total hits coming from five different players with the only multi-hit outing of the game from freshman Nick Campana as he finished 2-of-3 at the plate

·       Senior Ryan Lukach and freshman Jusin Ganca each drove in one run, the only RBI of the game for Hartford. The run batted in for Ganca was his second-straight game with an RBI, while Luakch extends his team and conference leading total to 29.

·       All three of Hartford runs came in the first inning and all three were unearned, thanks to back-to-back errors on the Black Bears infielders that opened up the game. Senior shortstop Trey Stover and sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon both received the advantage of those miscues to reach base safely. Freshman Ben Bengtson followed those with a free pass, loading the bases for Lukach, who drove in his only run on a single. MacKinnon scored the second run of the inning on a double play ball, while Bengtson crossed the plate thanks to Ganca's single to center.

·       Junior starter Kyle Gauthier suffered the loss on the mound, his fifth loss in seven decisions. Gauther pitched 7.1 innings, his second longest outing of the season, allowing four runs, one of which was earned, on seven hits and three walks. He also struck out two batters.

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS

·       Hartford again struck first in the second game of the doubleheader, scoring one run thanks to senior Trey Stover leading off the second-straight game by reaching base on an infield error. Stover would score three batters later thanks to an infield ground out from right fielder Ryan Lukach, his third straight game with an RBI.

·       Leading the Hawks bats in the second game was sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon who led all batters in the game with three hits. One of MacKinnon's three hits went for extra bases, a double down the left field line.

·       The double for MacKinnon was one four two-baggers in the game, with the remaining three all coming in the sixth inning and leading to two runs in that frame. Lukach led off the offense that inning with a one out double and eventually scored the first run of the inning thanks to the next double, which came  from freshman designated hitter Justin Ganca. Ganca would then score the second run of the inning when junior center fielder Chris DelDebbio drove him in with a double to left. The doubles from Ganca and DelDebbio both came with two outs.

·       DelDebbio joined MacKinnon in leading the Hawks bats as he finished with two hits in three at bats, with the second of those hits the double that drove in Ganca. DelDebbio's first hit of the game was the longest of the game, a triple to centerfield.

·       Junior right handed starter Sam McKay pitched a complete game for the Hawks, suffering his fifth loss of the season in eight decisions. Over his six innings of work, McKay gave up four runs, all earned, on six hits and three walks while striking out a pair.

SERIES FINALE HIGHLIGHTS

·       Hartford outhit the Black Bears 11-7 in the final game of the series, led by freshman leftfielder Nick Campana who finished with a game-high three hits, which came in six at bats. The rookie outfielder also drove in one run, the second of three runs in the 12th inning.

·       Campana was one of four batters who finished with a multi-hit outing, joined by a trio that all finished with two hits; sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon, junior centerfielder Chris DelDebbio and junior second baseman Aaron Wilson.

·       Redshirt senior Ryan Lukach led the Hawks with three RBI as he drove in the Hawks first three runs, the second two of which came in the eighth inning and tied the game forcing extra innings.

·       Junior reliever Austin Barnes earned his first victory of the season as he was one of two Hawks relievers who held Maine scoreless over the final six innings to earn the bullpen win. Starting pitcher Brian Murphy pitched six innings and was tagged with all three of Maine runs, all earned, on five hits and three walks.

·       Leading the Hawks on the hill was junior reliever Jeremy Charles who pitched four scoreless innings, giving up just one hit over the four frames. He also walked one batter and tied Murphy with three strikeouts as the pitching staff collected eight total in the victory.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       The five RBI for redshirt senior outfielder Ryan Lukach extends his team and conference lead to 33 for the season. The three RBI in the final game of the series is the sixth time this season he has driven in three runs, which also leads the Hawks.

·       Sophomore first baseman David MacKinnon finished with at least one hit in all three games of the series as he extended his team-leading hitting streak to 14 straight games. Included in that streak is a stretch of eight games over the last nine that he has finished with at least two hits. Those eight multi-hit games gives him 14 total for the season which is tied with freshman outfielder Nick Campana for the team lead.

·       Over the course of the three-game series, three Hawks pitchers combined to hold Maine scoreless over 6.2 total innings. Among those three was junior Jeremy Charles who pitched four scoreless innings, matching his season-best outing which also came in league play against Albany.

·       Along with MacKinnon, freshman outfielder Nick Campana also finished two of the three games with multiple hits, including matching his season-high of three hits in the series finale.

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       Hartford combined to outhit the Black Bears 25-22 for the series led by sophomore David MacKinnon who compiled a team-high six hits.

·       SO David MacKinnon and JR Chris DelDebbio both finished the weekend hitting .500 at the plate.

·       Freshman outfielder Nick Campana finished second overall with five hits on the weekend, completing a pair of multi-hit games.

·       Redshirt senior Ryan Lukach drove in a team-high five RBI, one in each of the three games at Maine.

·       JR relief pitcher Jeremy Charles led three Hawks who combined to hold Maine scoreless over 6.2 inning. Charles threw 4 scoreless innings.

UP NEXT
Hartford is scheduled for a single midweek game before returning to conference play with their final home league series next weekend against UMass Lowell. Prior to that series, Hartford will welcome the Rhode Island Rams to the West Hartford campus on Wednesday afternoon for a single game that is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.