WORCESTER, Mass. - Hartford pounded out 14 hits on its way to a 7-4 win over Holy Cross in non-conference baseball action at Fitton Field on Thursday afternoon.

The Hawks improved to 8-18 while the Crusaders slipped to 9-20-1.

Righthander Zach Stefka (1-0) held Holy Cross to one run on five hits while striking out four through six innings to earn his first victory of the season.

Hartford got out of the gate early with two runs in the top of the first inning and three more in the second to take a 5-0 lead. Steve Moyer put the Hawks on the board with a two-out two-run single in the first inning before RBI singles by Matt Denorfia and Brian Eck extended the lead in the second.

The Crusaders came back with a run in the second but could not manage to score again until the bottom of the eighth.

The Hawks tacked on two more runs in the seventh on sacrifice flies from Josh Topp and Ryan Crowley as Hartford extended its lead to 7-1.

Holy Cross rallied for three runs on six hits over the final two innings but it wasn't enough as the Hawks held on for the 7-4 win.

Eck and Denorfia each finished with three hits apiece while Moyer added two hits and two RBI. Ron Acabbo went two-for-three with a double and an RBI to move into third place on Hartford's all-time hits list with 167. He also now stands two doubles away from all-time doubles leader Carlos Oliva (45).

Hartford returns to America East action this weekend when the Hawks host UMBC for a three-game series at Muzzy Field in Bristol, CT. The two teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at noon followed by a single nine-inning game on Sunday.

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