baseball
Steve McLaughlin
8
Winner Univ. of Hartford HARTFORD 15-5
4
Holy Cross HC 8-16
Winner
Univ. of Hartford HARTFORD
15-5
8
Final
4
Holy Cross HC
8-16
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Univ. of Hartford HARTFORD 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 8 9 1
Holy Cross HC 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 4 11 4

W: Mormile, John (1-0) L: Barlok (0-2)

Game Recap: Baseball |

Hawks Extend Winning Streak to Seven with 8-4 Win over Holy Cross

THE BASICS:

RESULT: Hartford 8, Holy Cross 4
LOCATION: Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field (Worcester, Mass.)
RECORDS: Hartford (15-5, 2-1 AE); Holy Cross (8-16, 0-0 Patriot)

THE LEAD:
Another fast start on offense by the Hartford baseball team lifted the Hawks to an 8-4 win over Holy Cross on Tuesday evening. The win was Hartford's seventh in a row and ninth in the last 10 games.
 
Ashton Bardzell picked up his first home run as a Hawk on a two-run shot in the third to help lead the attack on offense. TJ Ward added two hits and drove in two runs. Cam O'Neill had two hits and two RBI's for the Crusaders.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
  • After two quick outs in the top of the first, the Hawks managed to push across a run after back-to-back walks for Chris DelDebbio and Erik Ostberg led to an RBI single from Ward to give Hartford an early 1-0 lead.
  • Holy Cross responded in the bottom half of the first, hitting back-to-back RBI doubles to take a 2-1 lead over the Hawks.
  • The Hawks battled right back in the second, starting the frame off with back-to-back singles from Nick Campana and Billy Walker. After Dalton Ruch bunted to move the runners over, Aaron Wilson ripped a sac fly to right to tie the score at 2-2. David MacKinnon continued his hot streak at the plate by ripping an RBI single to left to regain the lead for Hartford, pushing the score to a 3-2 Hawks advantage.
  • Hartford's bats stayed hot in the third, but this time the Hawks put some pop in their swings. A double to deep left field by Ward that nearly left the park was followed up by a two-run homer from Bardzell to increase Hartford's lead to 5-2.
  • The Hawks kept at it in the fourth, adding two more runs in the frame. MacKinnon suffered a HBP and DelDebbio singled to third base. A throwing error put both runners in scoring position, and then Ostberg doubled down the left field line to drive in a run. Then, a sac fly from Ward extended the lead to 7-2.
  • After a shaky start to the first on the mound, Justin Cashman settled into a groove and managed to slow down the Crusader bats after a two-run first inning. Cashman wound up going 4 2/3 innings, surrendering two runs in the contest.
  • John Mormile replaced Cashman in the fourth with two men on and two away. After walking the first batter he faced, Mormile picked up a key strikeout to get the Hawks out of a fifth inning jam, and then had a comfy 1-2-3 inning in the sixth.
  • Holy Cross struggled to gain offensive momentum after a two-run first inning, as Hawks pitching blanked the Crusaders on the scoreboard through the next six innings.
  • Hartford added another run in the eighth after Wilson doubled, swiped third base with a steal, and crossed home plate after the next pitch from Holy Cross went to the back stop. It gave the Hawks an 8-2 advantage.
  • Seth Pinkerton relieved Mormile on the mound after a strong 2 1/3 innings in which the freshman picked up three strikeouts. Pinkerton got into a bases loaded jam, but managed to get a strikeout before Holy Cross drew a walk to bring a run in. Pinkerton picked up another strikeout for out number two and then forced an easy groundout to end the inning, the Hawks still holding on to an 8-3 lead.
  • Sam McKay took the mound to close out the game and picked up two quick strikeouts before surrendering an RBI double to make it an 8-4 lead. McKay worked his way out of it to fend off Holy Cross' last chance at a comeback, and the Hawks won again, this time by a score of 8-4.

    INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
  • Bardzell picked up his first home run as a Hawk with the two-run bomb in the third inning. As a senior at Ramsey High School in New Jersey, Bardzell tied the state's home run record of 18 in a season set by MLB superstar and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout.
  • The Hawks have now won the last two games despite being outhit in the last two contests.
  • Hartford scored in four straight innings to open up the game. The last time the Hawks had such a feat was when Hartford scored in five straight frames against Maine on May 22, 2015.

NEXT UP:

After completing six straight games on the road, Hartford will host in-state rival Yale at Fiondella Field on Wednesday afternoon at 3 p.m.

Hartford is 11-22 all time versus the Bulldogs, but the Hawks have secured victories in the last two matchups, most recently winning in both 2012 and 2014. Yale enters the contest at 4-14-1 on the season, losing 9-0 at Sacred Heart on Tuesday night. RHP Benny Wanger will get the start for the Bulldogs.

Live stats will be available on HartfordHawks.com, and a live broadcast of the game will be viewable on AmericaEast.TV. Be sure to check out @HartfordBASE on Twitter for in-game updates and for news about the program.
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