WEST HARTFORD, Conn. –Hartford baseball split with Maine, falling in game one, 11-10, and taking game two in extra-inning, 5-4, on senior day at Fiondella Field.
Sophomore
Drew DeMartino and senior
Drew Holtgrieve both hit home runs in game one,as the Hawks improve to 18-29 overall and 10-10 in conference play. Senior Danny Casals finished the afternoon with a double, a run scored and three RBI,as the Black Bears move to 14-28 and 10-9 in the America East.
GAME ONE: MAINE 11 HARTFORD 10
After Maine jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the top of the first, Hartford began to rally in the bottom of the second with four runs. After freshman
Devin Kellogg singled to start the inning, DeMartino sent a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence to make the score 5-2. Later in the inning the Hawks took advantage of an error by the second basemen on a hard hit ball by senior
Chris Sullivan, plating sophomore
John Thrasher and redshirt-sophomore
Bryce Ramsay, cutting the Black Bears' advantage to one (5-4).
Maine pushed its lead back to two-runs in the top of the fourth before Hartford tied the game for the first time since 0-0 in the bottom of the fourth. After Ramsay walked to lead off the frame, senior
Drew Holtgrieve parked the first pitch he saw over the right field fence, knotting the score at six.
The Black Bears responded with four runs in the top of the sixth, taking a 10-6 lead. Hartford chipped away once again at the Maine advantage, starting with a two-run single by Kellogg, scoring senior
Ashton Bardzell and Sullivan. The Hawks then moved within one run later in the inning, as freshman
Donnie Cohoon hit a RBI single to center field, making the score 10-9.
After Maine pushed its lead back to two in the top of the seventh, Hartford attempted one last rally in the bottom of the eighth. DeMartino registered his third RBI of the game, knocking a sacrifice fly to left field and making the score 11-10.
However, that is as close as Hartford would get, as the Black Bears took game one, 11-10.
GAME TWO: HARTFORD 5 MAINE 4 (9)
After Maine took a one run lead in the top of the first, Hartford tied the game in the bottom of the second. With one out, Cohoon doubled down the right field line and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Ramsay took advantage of the mistake, plating Cohoon with a groundout to third base and bringing the score back to even (1-1).
The Black Bears again moved ahead by a run before Hartford again tied the game in bottom of the fourth. After Bardzell led off the inning with a triple to left center field, Kellogg came through with a sacrifice fly to right field, knotting the score at two.
The score remained tied at two heading into the seventh inning. The Black Bears nearly took a 3-2 lead in the top of the frame with runners on second and third with two outs, but Holtgrieve recovered a passed ball and made a diving tag to get junior Jeffrey Omohundro trying to steal home for the final out of the inning.
The game went to extra innings from there where Maine reclaimed the lead in the top of the ninth with two runs (4-2). The Hawks however battled back in the bottom of the inning starting with a sacrifice fly to left field by Thrasher, plating Cohoon and making the score 4-3 with two outs and a runner on second. In the next at bat Olson stepped in a drove triple over the center fielder's head, plating pinch runner junior
Bryce Walker from second and tying the score at four. Hartford completed the comeback in the next at bat, as Sullivan hit a grounder to the second basemen who couldn't handle it, allowing Olson to come home and wrap up the come from behind win, 5-4.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Sophomore Nicholas Dombkowski pitched five innings in game one, allowing five earned runs on eight hits and striking out two
- Redshirt-senior Sebastian DiMauro pitched six innings in game two, allowing one earned run on seven hits and striking out three
- Freshman Will Nowak (6-1) earned the victory in game two, pitching three inning and allowing two runs on four hits and striking out two
- DeMartino's home run in game one was his second of the season, while Holtgrieve's was his fourth
- DeMartino matched a career-high with three RBI in game one
- Hartford has won four of its last five games
NEXT ON TAP
Hartford completes the weekend series with Maine tomorrow. First pitch has been moved to 9 a.m.
