WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The University of Hartford baseball team suffered a pair of losses to UMass Lowell in America East action on Saturday at Fiondella Field. Dropping a 3-0 decision to start the afternoon, the Hawks were topped by River Hawks, 5-4, in nine innings.

Hartford (14-24) drops to 6-9 in the conference while UMass Lowell (12-21), improves to 8-6 in league play.

Aaron Wilson went 3-for-5 at the plate to pace the offense, homering in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to force extra innings between the two squads. He scored twice on the afternoon. Notching a pair of doubles, Chris DelDebbio finished 3-for-7 with a pair of RBI.

The two teams will wrap up the three-game series on Sunday afternoon with a single contest at 12 noon. Prior to first pitch, the Hawks' three seniors – Austin Barnes, Trey Stover, and Brady Sheetz – will be honored in a Senior Day Ceremony.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS:

·         Hartford scattered five hits in Saturday's opening game as sophomore David MacKinnon and junior Chris DelDebbio each recorded a pair of knocks; DelDebbio went 2-for-3 with a double while MacKinnon was 2-for-4

·         Scoring twice, Ian Strom, who went 1-for-3, crossed home in the top half of the second and fourth innings to give UMass Lowell a 2-0 advantage

·         The right fielder earned a one-out walk in the second and scored on a Joe Consolmagno base hit coupled with a throwing error by Hartford in right field before making a leadoff single through the middle of the infield pay off in the fourth inning after advancing on a wild pitch, a ground out, and a base hit off the bat of Reynolds

·         UMass Lowell added to its count again, needing one swing of the bat by first baseman Jimmy Ricoy to extend its lead to 3-0 in the sixth. The long ball that cleared the right centerfield wall was the second time this season he has gone yard.

·         The Hawks stranded seven base runners in nine innings combining to leave three in scoring position

·         One of two Hartford batters to record a pair of hits on the afternoon, junior Chris DelDebbio knocked out the Hawks first hit of the game with two outs in the bottom of the second frame; the second baseman was robbed of a triple as his screamer over the head of River Hawks' centerfielder Degroot was ruled a ground rule double after it bounced on the turf in front of the warning track before going over the wall

·         Unable to plate on DelDebbio's two-bagger, the Hawks got the bats going again in the bottom part of the third frame; despite loading up the bases with one out on a Roberti rip down the third base line followed by a Trey Stover walk and a base hit from MacKinnon, Hartford would be held off the scoreboard as Ben Bengston hit into an inning-ending double play

·         Behind the plate, Hawks' catcher Joe Roberti gunned down three would-be UMass Lowell base stealers at second

·         On the mound, freshman Andrew Ryan went the distance for the River Hawks and improved to 1-1 after striking out two in the shutout; he scattered five hits and walked two while recording a pair of strikeouts 

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS:

·         UMass Lowell was first to strike the scoreboard again in the opening game, starting the scoring in the same fashion as the afternoon's opening contest. All the damage was done with two outs, as Consolmagno was hit by a pitch by Hawks' starter Sam McKay. Stealing second and third, he would come home on a throwing error committed by Hartford's catcher in an attempt to nab a base stealer.

·         The offense continued to roll for the River Hawks as the visiting squad added to their 1-0 advantage using an RBI single by Erickson and a two-run triple off the bat of Sanchez

·         Hartford countered, though, and chipped away at its deficit. A big third-inning fueled by three hits allowed the Hawks to add three runs to the scoreboard, and close the gap to one. DelDebbio delivered a bases-clearing double with one out to start the rally, which was capped by a Ryan Lukach RBI single to left field.

·         The comeback would be completed in the bottom of the seventh frame, as one swing of the bat by Aaron Wilson with two outs quickly made it a 4-4 game and forced extra-innings in what was supposed to be a seven-inning contest.

·         After a scoreless eighth inning, the River Hawks used small ball to push Consolmagno, who led off the frame with a base hit, to third base. With two outs recorded, Rooney singled in Consolmagno for the go-ahead and eventual game-winning tally.

·         The Hawks threatened to keep the game going, but Campana's lead-off single wouldn't lead into the game-tying run. Despite the left fielder moving to second base on a sacrifice fly before taking third on a passed ball on a wild pitch, the River Hawks' defense and hurler Christian LaVoie, who worked the final two innings, would get out of the jam, forcing a ground out and a strikeout to end the inning.

·         McKay went four innings, striking out one batter, before Barnes took over on the mound for Hartford for the next three frames. Taking the loss was Jeremy Charles, who conceded the game-winning run in the top half of the ninth.