The University of Hartford baseball team returned home from Myrtle Beach and lost a pair of games to Hamilton College Saturday at Fiondella Field. 

GAME ONE: HAMILTON 12, HARTFORD 7 

Hamilton scored five runs over the last three innings to break a tie and secure the 12-7 victory in the opener. The Continentals scored a single run in the seventh before crossing the plate twice in the eighth and ninth innings.

Sophmore Jackson Ciccone had a standout performance, leading the Hawks with three RBI. Ciccone hit a two-run  home run in the fourth inning and brought home another run with a sacrifice in the sixth. 

The Continentals took the early lead with a run in the top of the first, but Hartford responded with a pair of runs in the third. Sophomore Ryan Melendez smashed a double to center field, bringing home freshman James Hinspeter and sophomore Jeremy Mangiameli for two RBI, propelling the Hawks into a 2-1 lead.  

Hamilton added five runs in the fourth inning to reclaim the lead. 

Hartford's most productive inning came in the sixth, where it scored three runs. A pair of RBI triples – one from sophomore Josh Kaplan and the other from freshman Alex Popovich – brought home two of the three runs. They came in for the aforementioned sacrifice from Ciccone. 

Ryan Melendez has recorded a career high of eight RBI in seven games played.

Freshman Tyler Blumetti (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing one run on one hit with two strikeouts in the seventh inning.

GAME TWO: HAMILTON 14, HARTFORD 4 

Hamilton started the game off hot, scoring seven two-out runs in the first inning, thanks in part to three Hartford errors. Hamilton tacked on five more runs, four in the second and one in the fourth, before Hartford scratched the plate.

A two-run home run by Melendez – his first of the season – got the Hawks on the board. Melendez brought home another run in the seventh with a bases-loaded hit by pitch and freshman Zaynn Godbee recorded his first collegiate hit and RBI with a single in the seventh.

Starter Colin Blake (0-2) took the loss, allowing 11 runs (six earned) on nine hits in 1.2 innings of work.

INSIDE THE BOX & NOTES: 

• Freshman Jake Pam made his first career start, hitting ninth as the designated hitter in the second game.
• Five Hartford hitters recorded at least two hits in the opener.
• Hinespeter has recorded a multi hit game in four out of seven games played
• Ciccone has recorded one run or more and one hit or more in 7 out of 9 games played.
• Popovich has recorded nine straight hits in all of nine games played by the Hawks
• This will be the third straight hitless appearance for Julian Rondon, he has seven K's in 3.2 innings. 

WHATS NEXT: 

Hartford (3-8) will host the University of Saint Joseph 3:30 pm Tuesday in a nine-inning game.