Box Score THE BASICS:
 
RESULT:  Bucknell 9, Hartford 5
LOCATION: Wilson Field (Davidson, N.C.)
RECORDS: Bucknell (4-5, 0-0 Patriot), Hartford (1-5, 0-0 America East)
WP: Jack Grabek (1-1) LP: Nathan Florence (0-1)

THE LEAD: 
The University of Hartford baseball team dropped the final game of its weekend series, falling 9-5 to Bucknell in Davidson, N.C. on Sunday. The Hawks led 4-2 in the seventh but, for the second day in a row, the opposition came from behind to score the victory.
 
Sophomore reliever Jack Grabek picked up the win for Bucknell, allowing one run in four innings. Freshman Nathan Florence (0-1), who hadn't allowed a hit in 2.1 innings this season, took the loss for the Hawks.
 
Catcher Erik Ostberg went 4-for-5 with a double, a home run and three runs scored to pace Hartford on offense. TJ Ward, Jackson Olson and Ben Bengtson also doubled for the Hawks.
 
Five Bison registered multi-hit games, led by designated hitter Sam Clark who finished 2-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• A pair of Bucknell errors helped the Hawks post two runs in the bottom of the first. Catcher Erik Ostberg and first baseman David MacKinnon scored for Hartford.
• Ostberg singled, stole second and scored on a misplayed ball off the bat of Chris Sullivan to make it 3-0 in the third.
• Bucknell sliced its deficit to 3-2 when Sam Clark connected for a two-run homer run to right in the top of the fifth.
• Shortstop Ben Bengtson helped Hartford answer quickly with a leadoff double in the bottom half of the fifth. He scored two batters later, when TJ Ward doubled to right-center, giving the Hawks a two-run cushion at 4-2.
• The Bison evened the score in the seventh on a two-run homer run by Keifer Rawlings.
• Back-to-back doubles from Brett Smith and Danny Rafferty helped Bucknell break the game open in the eighth. Rafferty's double to left scored a pair, putting the Bison on top 7-4.
• Bucknell loaded the bases with no outs in the ninth and pushed its lead to 9-4 on a two-run single by Chuckie Scales before Hartford reliever Connor Lewis helped the Hawks escape without further damage.
• Ostberg came through with a solo blast to right, cutting the Hawks' deficit to 8-5.

 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Ostberg continued his blistering start to the season. With four hits on Sunday he upped his average to a team-best .500 (12-for-24), he leads the team with six extra-base hits and is tied for the lead with two home runs.
• John Mormile turned in a solid start for the Hawks, allowing two runs in five innings of work. He scattered six hits and tied his season best with five strikeouts.
• Olson, a freshman, made his first career start at designated hitter and came through with his first career double.
• The teams combined to leave 22 runners on base, with the Bison stranding 13.
• Bucknell committed three errors in the game. Opponents have 15 errors against the Hawks this season, while Hartford has just three.

 
 
NEXT UP:
It isn't quite a home game, but the Hawks will play their first game of the 2017 season on Connecticut soil when they visit Central Connecticut on Wednesday, March 8^th, at 3 p.m. The Blue Devils are 4-5 and are fresh off getting swept in a four-game weekend set against No. 18 Oklahoma.
 
The Hawks are 21-30-2 all-time against CCSU. Hartford swept the season series in 2016 and has won three of the past four matchups. Live stats will be available at CCSUBlueDevils.com and Twitter updates will be available from @HartfordBASE.