WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford baseball team split its doubleheader with UMass Lowell at home, taking the opener, 8-2, before dropping the nightcap, 7-6, on Saturday afternoon at Fiondella Field.
With the split, the Hawks moved to 12-12 on the season and in the America East, while the River Hawks fell to 12-21 on the campaign and 11-13 in the America East.
PHOTO GALLERY
GAME ONE: HARTFORD 8, UMASS LOWELL 2
After a scoreless first inning, UMass Lowell struck for two runs in the second to jump out to an early 2-0 advantage. The Hawks responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the inning behind an RBI groundout from sophomore Tremayne Cobb Jr. to cut the deficit to a run.
Hartford knotted the contest at 2-2 after senior Drew DeMartino led off the bottom of the third inning with a solo homer to left. With the bases loaded later in the inning, graduate student Zachary Ardito served a sacrifice fly to left to plate John Thrasher from third, pushing Hartford ahead 3-2.
The Hawks broke the lead wide open in the fourth with three runs in the inning. Thrasher put Hartford up 5-2 with a two-run single to right, followed by an RBI double down the leftfield line by sophomore Derek Tenney to give the Hawks a four-run advantage.
The deficit proved to be too much, as Hartford held on for the eventual 8-2 victory.
GAME TWO: UMASS LOWELL 7, HARTFORD 6
The River Hawks struck first for a run in the opening inning to take an early 1-0 lead. Hartford knotted the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the inning courtesy of back-to-back doubles from DeMartino and Thrasher. However, UMass Lowell took a 3-1 lead in the second behind a two-run homer.
The Hawks added three runs in the fourth to take a 4-3 lead. Zachary Ardito and Tremayne Cobb Jr. belted back-to-back doubles to trim the deficit to 3-2. Senior Kyle Hawes immediately followed with a two-run homer off the right field pole to give the Hawks a 4-3 lead.
With the contest tied at 4-4, UMass Lowell plated two runs in the eighth to push ahead 6-4. Hartford cut the deficit to one in the bottom of the inning behind Ardito's RBI double. Later in the inning, Hawes lined a double to the right field corner, scoring Ardito from second to knot the contest at 6-6.
However, the River Hawks added a run in the ninth and eventually held on for the 7-6 win.
NEWS AND NOTES
- Graduate student pitcher Nathan Florence (3-2) got the start and earned the win in game one, allowing two earned runs on seven hits in five innings of work
- Florence added seven strikeouts in the outing
- Thrasher led the offense in the opener with three hits, two RBI and three runs scored
- Robert Carmody, Tenney and DeMartino added two hits apiece in the first contest
- Senior Nicholas Dombkowski (3-1) got the start and took the no-decision in the nightcap, allowing four runs on six hits in seven innings of work
- Dombkowski totaled nine strikeouts in the outing
- Freshman pitcher Coleman Picard (1-1) took the loss after allowing two earned runs on three hits in 1.2 innings of work
- Hawes led the offense in the nightcap with a homer, a double and three RBI
- Ardito, Thrasher and Cobb Jr. added an RBI apiece in the contest
NEXT ON TAP
The Hawks return to action on Sunday, May 2, when they close its four-game series against UMass Lowell with a doubleheader. Game one of the doubleheader is set for a noon start.
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