NEWPORT NEWS, Va The University of Hartford baseball team played their final game in Newport News, Va. Sunday afternoon as they took on Penn State Harrisburg for a second time in two days. After a back and forth game the nittany lions would come from behind and win it in the bottom of the ninth 9-8.

Rapid Recap:

• Penn State Harrisburg would get things going early as in the bottom of the first inning, they put on five runs to give them an early advantage. The Nittany Lions would add onto this lead in the second inning tacking on another run to give them a 6-0 advantage through two innings. The Hawks would get their bats going to start off the fourth inning as junior Ben Schulz (Berlin, Conn.) would lead the inning off with a single, and in the next at-bat junior Jackson Ciccone would knock one over the fence to put two runs on the board for Hartford. After another scoreless half inning from Penn. State Harrisburg, junior Cameron Boardman would rifle a one-out single in the top of the fifth, later on in the inning with the bases loaded Schulz would hit a sacrifice fly into center field allowing Boardman to score. Senior Luke Rier would continue to work through the sixth inning with back to back innings with no hits and only four batters faced.
• In the top of the sixth inning Graduate student Jake Santiago (Brisol, Conn.) would walk, and advance to second on a wild pitch. In the next at bat (sophomore Zaynn Godbee (Hartford, Conn.) would single up the middle and Santiago would come in to score from second. Godbee would steal second, junior Ryan Knight (Peabody, Mass.) and Boardman would walk, loading the bases for sophomore JJ Romatzick (Stratford, Conn.). Romatzick would single into cf scoring both Knight and Boardman and tying the game for the Hawks 6-6. In the top of the eighth inning Boardman would again find his way on base this time via a hit by pitch, and junior Joshua Kaplan (Suffern, N.Y.) would work a walk. Both men would steal putting two runners in scoring positions for the Hawks. Ciccone would come up big again for Hartford knocking in an RBI single through the left side that would score both Boardman and Kaplan, and giving the Hawks their first lead of the game 8-6. Hartford would maintain their lead into the bottom of the ninth, sophomore Julian Rondon (Bardonia, N.Y.) would come in to close the game for the Hawks. Penn State Harrisburg would work three straight walks to load the bases wit no outs, a wild pitch would score one run for the Nittany Lions bringing the game within one. With the bases loaded once again after another walk Tim Haftl would sacrifice fly out to center field tying the game for Penn. State Harrisburg. In what would be the final at bat of the game Coy Schwanger would hit a walk off single and secure the win for the Nittany Lions.

On the Mound:

• Freshman Jeffrey Blake got the start for the Hawks on the bump going 3 innings, giving up five hits and six runs, to go along with six strike outs and one walk. Rier saw two innings of work, facing eight batters with no hits, no walks, no strikeouts, and six flyouts. Freshman Evan Gentile (Berlin, Conn.) saw one inning of work giving up one walk in three at bats and facing four batters. Sophomore Tyler Blumetti (Southington, Conn.) worked two innings giving up two hits in eight at bats. Rounding things out on the mound was Rondon who finished his one third of an inning pitched with two hits, three runs, three errors, in six batters faced.

At the Plate:

• Santiago finished the day going 2- for-3 with one run and two walks, Romatzick went 2-for-5 with 2 RBI, Boardman slashed 1-for3 with two runs, one stolen base, and one walk.

Up Next:
The Hawks return home for their official home opener Wednesday, March 12th, with first pitch slated for 3PM.

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