ORONO, Maine- The Hartford Hawks trailed 6-2 after four innings Saturday afternoon, but rallied to score 10 of the games final 11 runs over the last five innings en route to a 12-7 America East baseball win over the Maine Black Bears at Mahaney Diamond in Orono in both teams regular season finale. The conference tournament will start Wednesday at the same venue, with matchups and times to be announced.
Danny Casals and Jonathan Bennett both hit sacrifice RBI flyouts in the Maine first inning to make it 2-0. Hartford answered right back when JT Ward hit a solo homer to left center, and Robert Carmody had an RBI single. Hernen Sardinas hit an RBI double to put the Bears back in front in third, and took home plate after the Hawks tried throwing out Christopher Bec at second base. Brandon Vicens finished off a four run inning with a two run homer to right field making it 6-2. Hawks right fielder Ashton Bardzell cut the lead to one when he smashed a three run homer over the left field fence and scoreboard in the top of the fifth. With the bases full of Hawks in the sixth, Nick Campana hit a grounder to Maine third baseman Cody Pasic, who threw to home but the throw pulled catcher Bec off the plate to allow the tying run to score making it 6-6. Later in inning Zach Ardito hit a two run single to put Hartford up 8-6. The Hawks finished up their scoring with four runs in eighth when Campana and Bardzell hit RBI singles, and Ward knocked in his sixth and seventh RBI of the series with a two run single to up the lead to 12-6. Maine got one back in bottom of eighth on a Pasic RBI single.
Trevor Delaite (Bangor High) started for the Bears and got a no decision, allowing five runs, six hits, three walks, with two strikeouts in 4.1 innings. Connor Johnson (2-3) suffered the loss in relief, allowing three runs, three hits, one walk in 1.2 innings. Billy Devito started for the Hawks, allowing six runs, five hits, one walk, with four strikeouts in 4.0 innings. Seth Pinkerton (2-3) got the win, allowing no runs, three hits, with four strikeouts in 3.0 innings. Bec led all batters on the day going 4-5 with a run scored. Hartford finishes the regular season 23-29, 16-8 in America East.
Maine finishes up 18-32, 12-12 and will await seeding and an opponent for the upcoming tournament Wednesday on their home field.
