THE BASICS:
 
RESULT:  Game 1 — Fairfield 7, Hartford 3; Game 2 — Hartford 4, Fairfield 3
LOCATION: Alumni Diamond (Fairfield, Conn.)
RECORDS:  Hartford (5-13, 1-2 America East), Fairfield (8-13, 2-1 MAAC)
GAME 1 — W: John Signore (2-2) L: Brian Stepniak (0-2)
GAME 2 — W: Connor Lewis (2-1) L: Gavin Wallace (4-2) S: John LaRossa (1)
 

THE LEAD: 
The University of Hartford baseball team (5-13, 1-2 America East) split Sunday's doubleheader against Fairfield at Alumni Diamond.  The Hawks fell, 7-3, to the Stags (8-13, 2-1 MAAC) in game one but bounced back with a dramatic 4-3 win in game two.
 
Senior pitcher Connor Lewis turned in the strongest performance by a Hawks starter this season in the second game, allowing one run on six hits in seven innings. Hartford shortstop Ben Bengtson had two hits and drove in a pair of runs in the victory, with first baseman David MacKinnon and designated hitter Erik Ostberg each notching a pair of hits. MacKinnon finished with three hits on the day to climb to the No. 1 spot on the program's all-time hits list. He passed Earl Snyder (222; 1995-'98) and now has 224 career hits.
 
 
GAME 1
The day started on a promising note for the Hawks, who jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning, but Hartford couldn't protect – or add to – its lead. Fairfield responded with seven unanswered runs to claim a 7-3 victory in the opener.
 
John Signore (2-2) earned the win for the Stags, allowing two earned runs in six innings of work. He struck out five, walked one and scattered four hits. Brian Stepniak (0-2) went five innings for the Hawks, giving up four earned runs on seven hits.
 
Center fielder Ashton Bardzell was the only Hawk to record a multi-hit performance and Hartford finished with six hits as a team. Fairfield got 11 hits, with three coming from designated hitter Troy Scocca.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 1):

• Bengtson and Bardzell recorded back-to-back singles to lead off the second inning, before left fielder Chris Sullivan drove them both in with a two-run single to center. Sullivan later scored on an error to give the Hawks a 3-0 lead.
• Catcher Kevin Radziewicz was hit by a pitch, advanced on a single and scored on a single to right by first baseman Mitch Williams to cut the Hawks' lead to 3-1.
• Scocca made it 3-2 with a one-out homer to right in the fourth.
• The Stags took the lead for good in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs on four consecutive singles to pull ahead 4-3.
• Fairfield added three more runs in the eighth. All three scored on a single by shortstop Michael Conti, though the play was extended due to an error and only one of the runs was earned.

 
 
GAME 2
Lewis was phenomenal for the Hawks in game two, going deeper into a game than any Hartford starter this season, striking out four without issuing a walk. For the second consecutive game Hartford's offense built a 3-0 lead, highlighted by a pair of fifth inning home runs from Bengtson and Bardzell.
 
Leading 3-1 in the ninth, Bengtson came through in a big way again. He singled through the right side, scoring MacKinnon with what proved to be the game-winning run. With the tying run in scoring position, LaRossa came on in relief of freshman Drew Farkas and pinned down the final two outs for his first save of the year.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED (Game 2):

• Campana put the Hawks in front 1-0 in the third, driving in Bryce Ramsay with a double to right-center.
• Bengtson and Bardzell connected for back-to-back solo home runs in the fifth. Bengtson's blast went to left-center, while Bardzell took Fairfield starter Gavin Wallace deep to right to make it 3-0.
• Fairfield plated its first run in the bottom of the sixth inning when third baseman Jack Gethings scored on a fielder's choice by Scocca.
• Hartford tacked on an insurance run in the ninth. MacKinnon was hit by a pitch to lead things off, advanced on a single by Ostberg and scored on a single by Bengtson.
• Fairfield got two runs back in the bottom half of the inning off Farkas. Second baseman Mac Crispino singled, pinch hitter Ian Halpin doubled and both came in on an two-run double from Conti that made it a one-run game.
• LaRossa came out of the bullpen for two outs to earn the save for Hartford. LaRossa got right fielder Dan Hopkins to ground out with the tying run on third base to end the threat.

 
 
NEXT UP:
The Hawks will return to Fiondella Field to host Fairfield on Monday at 3 p.m. Senior Kyle Dube (1-2, 5.18 ERA) is slated to take the hill for Fairfield. The Hawks have not announced a game three starter. Live stats for Monday's series finale against the Stags will be available HERE.