2015 AMERICA EAST CHAMPIONSHIP BRACKET

BALTIMORE, Md. – The University of Hartford baseball team closed out its 2015 regular season with a 7-3 road win over the UMBC Retrievers at Alumni Field in Baltimore, Md. Hartford advances to the America East Championship for the second-straight season and will enter the tournament as the fourth seed. The Hawks will open the double-elimination tournament on Thursday against the top seeded Stony Brook Seawolves. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.

In the regular season finale, Hartford (22-29, 10-12 America East) was led by six players who all finished with two hits as the Hawks closed out the game with a 13-9 advantage in the hits column. Included in the leaders at the plate was senior Trey Stover who finished 2-of-5, extending his team-leading hitting streak to nine-straight games. Stover was also one of six players who drove in runs.

Junior's Aaron Wilson and Joe Roberti both closed out the regular season with an impressive showing that plate as each finished 2-of-3 with an RBI. The two hits for Roberti secured his fourth-straight with at least one hit.

On the hill, junior starter Brian Murphy earned his first victory in five decisions and his 12th start of the season. Murphy pitched five innings, allowing one run, earned, on four hits and a pair of walks. He also struck out two batters. Three of the Hawks four relievers combined to throw three scoreless middle innings, which combined with Murphy was a total of seven-straight scoreless innings. Among those three relievers, freshman John LaRossa finished his inning of work without allowing a hit.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS

·       Hartford outhit the Retrievers for the second time over the three-game season-ending series, closing out the game with a 13-9 advantage. Six different Hawks all led the way with two hits apiece.

·       Leading the way at the plate was a pair of juniors, second baseman Aaron Wilson and catcher Joe Roberti who each finished 2-of-3 at the dish, while each drove in a run. Overall, six Hawks all finished with an RBI.

·       Among the leading hitters was senior shortstop Trey Stover who finished 2-of-5 with an RBI, his ninth-straight game with at least one hit, tying his season-high hitting streak.

·       Earning the victory on the hill was junior starter Brian Murphy who finished five innings of work allowing one run on four hits and a pair of walks. He also struck out three batters.

·       Murphy and three relievers for Hartford all combined to hold UMBC scoreless from the second through eighth innings as the Retrievers mustered one run in the first and two more in the ninth. Included in the three relievers in that stretch was freshman John , who did not give up a hit.

HOW THEY SCORED

·       Hartford began its scoring in the second inning and added at least one run in that innings and the next two. In the second inning, the Hawks erased a one-run deficit by scoring three runs thanks to RBI's from Trey Stover, Sebastian DiMauro and Aaron Wilson. Freshman designated hitter Nick Campana opened up the frame with a single to center, later scoring the first run of the inning. With one out in the books, catcher Joe Roberti drilled the first of three doubles for Hartford down the right field line putting him and Campana in scoring position. Campana scored on the next at-bat as DiMauro sacrificed himself on a fly ball to center. Roberti then scored thanks to a single from Wilson, which also allowed Wilson to take second on the play at the plate. Stover followed that with the fourth hit of the inning, a single to center that allowed Wilson to score.

·       In the third, the Hawks added two more runs, the first of which came thanks to back-to-back hits from sophomore David MacKinnon and senior Ryan Lukach who opened up the inning with a bunt single and a double down the left field line, respectively. Lukach's double allowed the speedy MacKinnon to score from first. Lukach was then rewarded three batters later when Roberti sacrificed himself on a fly to left, earning the RBI.

·       The final run in the three-inning scoring streak came in the fourth when a leadoff single to right from Wilson was rewarded. Wilson was able to take third on a two-out walk issued to MacKinnon, while an error on a strikeout to Lukach extended the inning, allowing Wilson to score from second

·       Hartford's finale run came in the seventh inning, rewarding MacKinnon who led off the frame reaching base when he was hit by a pitch. An infield groundout allowed MacKinnon to advance into scoring position, while he was able to score from second thanks to a double to left from Campana.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS

·       Senior Trey Stover extended his team-leading hitting streak to nine-straight games heading into the postseason. Stover finished the regular season finale with a pair of hits, both singles in his first two at bats.

·       Hartford outhit its opponents for the 20th time this season, earning its 15th victory in those games. Overall, the Hawks closed out the game with a 13-9 advantage in the hit column.

·       Junior starter Brian Murphy earned his first win of the season in his 12th start and fifth overall decision.

·       Freshman John LaRossa who transitioned to a pitching role late in the season has now made four appearance and not allowed a run over four innings of work. He has also given up just one hit in those four innings, while striking out three.

TWEETABLES (140 characters or less)

·       Four Hawks pitchers combined to hold UMBC without a run over a seven inning stretch as they build a 7-1 lead.

·       Senior Trey Stover extended his team-leading hitting streak to nine straight games with a pair of doubles.

·       The Hawks handed UMBC two home losses in the final regular season series, just the second and third of the season for the Retrievers.

UP NEXT
Hartford will make its second appearance in as many years in the 2015 America East Championships, entering the double elimination tournament as the fourth seed. The Hawks will begin tournament play on Thursday with a 1 p.m. first pitch scheduled against the top seeded Stony Brook Seawolves. Hartford took two of three regular season meetings against the Seawolves. The 2015 America East Championship is slated to take place at the home of the Boston Red Sox Short A affiliate, the Lowell Spinners, LeLacheur Park in Lowell, Mass.