WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford baseball team swept its doubleheader against NJIT, taking game one, 5-0, before downing the Highlanders 8-4 in game two, on Saturday afternoon at Fiondella Field.
 
Junior Devin Kellogg led the offense with two homers on the day, as the Hawks improved to 6-2 on the season and in the America East, while NJIT fell to 3-10 on the campaign and 2-6 the America East. 

PHOTO GALLERY
 
GAME ONE: HARTFORD 5, NJIT 0
Hartford struck first in the bottom of the second, after Devin Kellogg belted a solo homer off the left field foul pole to put the Hawks up 1-0. Hartford padded its lead in the second inning when an NJIT error in the field allowed Drew DeMartino to score from second to give the Hawks a 2-0 lead.

Hartford doubled its lead in the bottom of the fifth inning, behind a two-run homerun from Kyle Hawes to right to push ahead 4-0. The Hawks tacked on an extra insurance run in the sixth and held on for the 5-0 victory.
 
GAME TWO: HARTFORD 8, NJIT 4
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Derek Tenney lined an RBI to left to tie the contest at 1-1.

The Hawks added three runs in the fifth to push its lead to 4-1. The rally began with John Thrasher's RBI triple to the center field fence, scorying Aidan Duda from first. Ardito immediately followed with an RBI single to plate Thrasher, trailed by an error in the field to score Ardito. 

After NJIT scored a run, the Hawks responded with a three-spot in the bottom of the sixth. Dickson gave Hartford a 5-1 lead with an RBI triple, before reaching home on a wild pitch in the following at-bat. After Thrasher doubled, Ardito reached on an error in the field, allowing Thrasher to score from third to give Hartford a 7-2 lead.

Despite NJIT adding four more runs, Hartford eventually held on for the 8-4 win.
 
NEWS AND NOTES

• Graduate student Nathan Florence (2-0) got the start went the distance in game one, tossing seven shutout innings, allowing four hits, while striking out nine
• Hawes led the offense with two RBI, coming off his two-run homer
• DeMartino and Kellogg added an RBI apiece
• Junior Tim Blaisdell (2-0) got the start and earned the win, logging six innings, allowing up one earned run on three hits, striking out seven batters in the process
• Thrasher led the offense with three hits and three runs scored in game two
• Thrasher, Ardito, Tenney, Dickson and Kellogg tallied an RBI apiece in the win
• Dickson recorded five hits in the two games

 
NEXT ON TAP
Hartford will be back in action on Friday, April 2, when it travels to open the weekend series against Stony Brook with a doubleheader. First pitch from Joe Nathan Field is set for noon.

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