WEST HARTFORD, Conn. – The Hartford Hawks battled in a doubleheader this afternoon against Conference of New England (CNE) rival Roger Williams Unviersity, with Hartford falling in game one before picking up the win in game two.
Rapid Recap Game 1 (L, 6-3):
- Roger Williams struck first in the second inning, as a solo home run gave RWU a 1-0 lead. Junior Jeremy Mangiameli (Middlefield, Conn.) tied the game for the Hawks, as his RBI single scored sophomore J.J. Romatzick (Stratford, Conn.), tying the game at 1-1. The bats went quiet for both teams, but RWU would get in front again in the sixth as a double scored two runners, giving the visitors a 3-1 lead.
- Hartford used the long ball to get back into the game as junior Jackson Ciccone (Danbury, Conn.) launched a homer in the sixth to cut the lead to 3-2. Junior Ryan Knight (Peabody, Mass) hit a solo shot in the bottom of the seventh to even the score as we headed to extras.
- A solo home run for Roger Williams in the eighth inning gave RWU a 4-3 lead, their third lead of the game. The RWU Hawks added on later in the inning, as a two-run homer pushed Roger Williams lead to 6-3. Hartford went silent falling by a 6-3 final.
At the Plate:
- Eight of Hartford's nine starters reached base in game one, as the Hawks reached base 12 times overall. The Hawks went deep twice in the contest, with Knight and Ciccone both homering for Hartford.
On the Mound:
- Sophomore Anthony Bubba (Jefferson, N.J.) started the game for Hartford, pitching seven innings, allowing one earned run on seven hits, striking out two. Sophomore Tyler Blumetti (Southington, Conn) entered in relief, taking the loss on the contest, allowing three runs.
Rapid Recap Game 2 (W, 4-1):
- Roger Williams took advantage of defensive miscues, as a passed ball allowed a runner to come home and give RWU a 1-0 lead in the first. Down 1-0 in the third, Knight stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and faced a full count with two outs, before launching a no-doubt grand slam into right field to give Hartford a 4-1 advantage.
- Freshmen Ryan Sheehy (Shelton, Conn.) shut down RWU after the first inning, allowing just three hits over the final six innings, shutting the door on an RWU rally in the sixth inning to keep the Hawks lead at 4-1.
At The Plate:
- Hawks captain graduate student Jake Santiago (Bristol, Conn.) recorded his 100th career hit in the first inning, hitting an infield single to give Santiago the milestone.
- Ryan Knight hit his second home run of the doubleheader with a go-ahead grand slam, giving him 5 RBIs between both games. Knight finished the game 2-for-2 from the plate with the homer and a double.
On the Mound:
- Sheehy earned his fourth win of the season, going all seven innings and striking out seven batters, allowing just one run on five hits. Sheehy's latest dominant performance comes one game after nearly throwing a no-hitter against Curry College.
Post Game Press:
"We've been battling all day", said junior
Ryan Knight (Peabody, Mass.). "Bubba and Sheehy were pitching great. Roger Williams has good pitching, so it was really nice to sit on a pitch and not miss it."
"It feels good", said freshman
Ryan Sheehy (Shelton, Conn.). "It is definitely some vengeance there from that Curry game, but it's super easy to pitch when we have the defense behind me. I was rolling ground balls and the defense was making the plays."
Up Next:
The Hawks return to action tomorrow against the Western New England Golden Bears at 3:00 P.M on the road.
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