THE BASICS:
 
RESULT:  Fairfield 10, Hartford 2
LOCATION: Fiondella Field (West Hartford, Conn.)
RECORDS:  Hartford (5-14, 1-2 America East), Fairfield (9-13, 2-1 MAAC)
W: Kyle Dube (2-2) L: David Drouin (0-3)
 

THE LEAD: 
The University of Hartford baseball team (5-14, 1-2 America East) dropped the rubber match of its three game series against Fairfield, falling 10-2 to the Stags (9-13, 2-1 MAAC) at Fiondella Field on Monday. Fairfield starter Kyle Dube (2-2) went six innings for the Stags, allowing one run on six hits, while striking out seven. Junior David Druin came out of the bullpen for Hartford in the second inning and took the loss, allowing five runs on six hits.
 
Third baseman Jack Gethings led the way for Fairfield, going 3-for-6 with three RBI and a run scored. First baseman Ian Halpin, shortstop Michael Conti and left fielder Tyler Gambardella each had two hits for the Stags. Right fielder Nick Campana and center fielder Ashton Bardzell both had multi-hit games for Hartford, with Bardzell and pinch hitter Jackson Olson driving in the Hawks' two runs.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Hartford scored one in the first when right fielder Nick Campana and first baseman David MacKinnon led off with back-to-back singles, before center fielder Ashton Bardzell drove in Camapana with a two-out single to left field.
• Fairfield evened the score in the top of the second when first baseman Ian Halpin turned a leadoff walk, the first of three in the frame, into a run.
• The Stags broke the game open with a four-run two-out rally in the third. Five consecutive Fairfield batters reached safely, with consecutive RBI singles from shortstop Michael Conti and left fielder Tyler Gambardella doing the bulk of the damage.
• Third baseman Jack Gethings led off Fairfield's half of the fourth with a single, advanced on a pair of walks and scored to make it 6-1 on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Mac Crispino.
• Fairfield scored four more in the seventh on the strength of five more hits, with Gambardella, Gethings and catcher Kevin Radziewicz each recording RBI singles during the rally.
• The Hawks pushed across one run in the eighth when shortstop Ben Bengtson led off with a single up the middle and eventually came around to score on Olson's pinch-hit double.

 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Catcher Erik Ostberg went 1-for-2 to improve his average to a team-best .485.
• Bardzell stayed hot for the Hawks as well, upping his average to .405. He has hit safely in 12 consecutive games, with seven multi-hit games during that stretch.
• After allowing a run to Campana, the Hawks' leadoff hitter in the first, Dube dialed in and allowed allowed three hits during his final five innings of work.
• The leadoff batter reached safely for the Stags in six innings, including a stretch of six straight from the second through seventh.

 
 
NEXT UP:
Hartford will host another impromptu home game on Tuesday, April 4, when the Hawks welcome Sacred Heart (7-17, 2-3 NEC). The game was originally scheduled to be played at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, but was moved due to unplayable field conditions. The Hawks are 15-7 all-time against Sacred Heart and were riding a series-long six-game winning streak before falling, 7-4, in last year's matchup.