THE BASICS:

GAME ONE RESULT: Hartford 4, UMass Lowell 3
GAME TWO RESULT: UMass Lowell 6, Hartford 5
LOCATION: LeLacheur Park (Lowell, Mass.)
RECORDS: Hartford (17-6, 3-2 AE); UMass Lowell (10-12, 1-4 AE)

THE LEAD:
The Hartford baseball team extended its win streak to a program-best nine straight after winning game one, but UMass Lowell battled back from a 5-0 deficit to win game two and split the doubleheader with the Hawks.

GAME ONE BREAKDOWN: Hartford crafted a wild rally in the ninth inning to steal away a victory from UMass Lowell, winning 4-3 after trailing for the entirety of the game.  David MacKinnon chipped in an RBI single and Chris DelDebbio added two hits for the Hawks. Kyle Gauthier went six solid innings, and Sam McKay and Colling Ferguson combined for three scoreless innings and four strikeouts out of the bullpen. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• The River Hawks got out to a fast start, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning after a sac fly was followed by a Hawks throwing error to bring in the second run. UMass Lowell would add another run in the third after a throw from second base to first was off-line, halting what would have been an inning-ending double play. The River Hawks would lead 3-0 after two innings.
• Hartford managed to push a run across in the sixth inning after Erik Ostberg singled, stole second, then came around to score after an error at third for UMass Lowell helped the Hawks get back into the game, cutting the gap to 3-1.
• After a shaky first two innings, Gauthier settled into a groove on the mound. The senior went six frames, striking out four and allowing three runs (two earned) on seven hits.
• McKay came on and pitched an impressive two innings following Gauthier, going two frames and striking out three while not allowing a hit.
• Just when it looked like the winning-streak for the Hawks might come to a close, the crew got a big-time rally going. Chris Sullivan, who came in to pinch hit, drew a walk, and then Dalton Ruch was hit by a pitch. Aaron Wilson bunted both runners over, and then MacKinnon ripped an RBI single to left that scored Sullivan. With just one down, the Hawks were within a run.
• DelDebbio was also hit by a pitch, and then Ostberg created an unlikely game-winning play. The sophomore hit a routine double-play ball to short, and the River Hawks made an out at second base, but the throw from second was wild and the Hawks took advantage, scoring two on the play before Ostberg was tagged out trying to reach second. After trailing since the bottom of the first inning, Hartford led 4-3, just three outs from victory.
• Collin Ferguson came on to shut the door in the ninth, but UMass Lowell refused to lie down. With one out, the River Hawks drew a walk and put a pinch runner on first. Ferguson then made a heads up play on the mound, picking off the baserunner for the second out. A strikeout would retire the home team for good in game one, and after having the lead for just minutes, Hartford rose victorious by a final score of 4-3.

GAME ONE INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• The three-run boost in the final frame was the Hawk's biggest ninth inning comeback since Hartford put up four runs on Stony Brook in an eventual 12-10 win on May 5, 2015.
• The win for Hartford officially tabs the 2016 Hawks as holders of multiple program records. The win in game one improves the squad's winning streak to nine, a program-best for the Hawks, and the official 17-5 start to the season is the best ever for a Hartford team to begin the year.

GAME TWO BREAKDOWN: The Hawks jumped out to a commanding 5-0 lead through six innings, but UMass Lowell battled back and eventually won game two by a score of 6-5. Wilson hit a solo home run, and Billy Walker added two hits and an RBI in the loss. 

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Game Two featured strong pitching from both hurlers early in the contest. David Drouin was dominant in the opening frames, striking out seven River Hawks in six innings of work.
• Hartford struck first in the sixth when Aaron Wilson ripped a solo shot to left to give the Hawks a 1-0 lead.
• The Hawks added some insurance in the seventh inning after Ben Bengtson tripled and TJ Ward hit an RBI single to drive him in. Ward stole second on a failed pickoff attempt and came around to score when a bunt attempt by Ashton Bardzell forced UMass Lowell to make an error. Nick Campana roped an RBI triple to the right center field gap to score Bardzell, Billy Walker picked up an RBI single that scored Campana, and just like that, it was 5-0 Hartford.
• UMass Lowell managed to chase Drouin from the game by loading the bases with one out in the seventh, and Sebastian DiMauro came on in relief. The River Hawks picked up back-to-back RBI singles to get on the board at 5-2. The hits kept coming, and the game was tied at five before an inning-ending double play finally halted the rally.
• UMass Lowell wound up walking off in the ninth after an RBI single and a throw to home plate that was too late from the outfield. The River Hawks ended what was a program-best start for Hartford on the season.

UP NEXT:
The Hawks will look to take the rubber match of the series tomorrow afternoon. The game's first pitch has been rescheduled from noon to a new start time of 2 p.m. Follow along with live stats,@HartfordBASE on Twitter, as well as a video broadcast on AmericaEast.TV.