THE BASICS:
 
RESULT:  UMass Lowell 3, Hartford 2
LOCATION: LeLacheur Park (Lowell, Mass.)
RECORDS:  Hartford (16-21, 7-8 America East), UMass Lowell (22-18, 10-7 AE)
W:  Connor Metelski (3-0) L: Seth Pinkerton (1-2)
 
 
THE LEAD: 
UMass Lowell rallied for a pair of runs off University of Hartford closer Seth Pinkerton on Sunday, claiming a 3-2 walk-off victory on a pinch-hit two-run single from John Polichetti. The River Hawks (22-18, 10-7 America East) loaded the bases off Pinkerton on a leadoff double and a pair of walks, before Polichetti drove in the game winning runs with a single to left.
 
The finish spoiled a brilliant performance by Hartford (16-21, 7-8 AE) starting pitcher Connor Lewis, who allowed one run on four hits while tying his career best with seven innings pitched. Reliever John Mormile also worked a perfect eighth inning.
 
The Hawks scored the game's first run on an error in the second inning and center fielder Ashton Bardzell made it 2-0 when he smacked a leadoff home run to left in the top of the sixth. Bardzell and shortstop Ben Bengtson each finished with two hits in the game.
 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Bengtson laced a double down the left field line and came around to score on an error, giving the Hawks a 1-0 lead in the second inning.
• Bardzell led off the sixth with a home run to left to make it 2-0.
• Cam Climo singled and scored on a sacrifice fly from Austin Young in the seventh, cutting the Hawks' lead to 2-1.
• Steve Passatempo led off the bottom of the ninth with a double off the outfield fence and left fielder Colby Maiola drew a walk to put the winning run on base with no outs. Pinkerton played a bunt attempt from Cam Climo perfectly, getting the lead runner at third, and Russ Olive made the second out with a fly ball to right. After Young worked a four-pitch walk to load the bases, UML called on Polichetti, who came through with the game-winning hit.

 
 
BY THE NUMBERS:

• Lewis turned in his strongest start of the season. He tied his career-best with seven innings pitched and allowed one run on four hits. He also tied his career-best with five strikeouts, while walking just one.
• Aside from Bardzell and Bengtson, catcher Bryce Ramsay was the only other Hawk to record a hit in the game.
• All three UML runs and four of the River Hawks' six hits came after the sixth inning.

 
 
NEXT UP:
The Hawks will keep their Massachusetts road trip going next week, when they visit UMass, in Amherst, on Tuesday at 3 p.m. The Minutemen (12-24, 6-9 Atlantic 10) lost their weekend series against conference-rival Dayton and are 6-16 in non-conference play this season.
 
Hartford is 10-23 all-time against UMass, which has won seven of the past eight matchups. The Hawks last win came in 2014, but the team's last win in Amherst occurred in 2005. For the first time in 11 seasons, the two clubs didn't meet during the 2016 season.