HARTFORD, Connecticut – The Quinnipiac University baseball team lost to the University of Hartford, 6-4, in the first baseball game played at Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford, Connecticut, home of the Hartford Yard Goats, the Class AA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. With the loss, Quinnipiac drops to 10-19 overall while Hartford improves to 9-16 on the season.
Ryan Nelson (Knoxville, Tennessee) was 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored while Joseph Burns (Shelton, Connecticut) was also 2-for-4 with the first home run in the newly-opened ballparks' history and two RBI. Brian Moskey (Higganum, Connecticut) also added two hit six including a double off the right field wall. On the mound, Brandon Shileikis (North Dighton, Massachusetts) pitched 4 2/3 in relief, scattering three hits while striking out five while allowing just one run. Mike Davis (Sandy Hook, Connecticut) pitched two scoreless innings to close the game for the Bobcats.
Matthew Batten (Shelton, Connecticut) led off the game with a single through the left side of the infield before immediately swiping second base. The stolen base was Batten's 61st of his career and tied the Quinnipiac all-time record set by Bob Bruzik '83. Batten was then moved over to third before scoring the first run in Dunkin' Donuts Park history on a balk.
Quinnipiac starter Alex Vargas (Freeport, New York) struggled out of the game, walking five of the seven batters he faced before being lifted for Brandon Shileikis (North Dighton, Massachusetts) with one out in the first. Shileikis pitched out of a bases loaded jam to hold Hartford to a 3-1 lead through the first.
In the fourth, with Shileikis cruising through the Hawks' line-up, Joseph Burns (Shelton, Connecticut) jumped on the first pitch of the inning and lifted it over the left field wall for the first home run in Dunkin' Donuts Park history to pull the Bobcats within a run, 3-2. Brandon Shileikis (Photo by Rob Rasmussen)
In the fifth, Mike Palladino (Rockville Centre, New York) walked to lead-off the inning and signaled the 15th straight game in which he reached base safely. Palladino then stole third before Batten and Liam Scafariello (Southington, Connecticut) were retired. Ryan Nelson (Knoxville, Tennessee) then hit a laser down the right-field line to score Palladino from second and tie the game at 3-3.
The lead was short-lived as Hartford regained the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Shileikis got the first two batters out before hitting TJ Ward with a pitch. Chris Sullivan then drove a double to the right-center field gap to score Ward and give Hartford a 4-3 lead.
In the seventh, Nelson delivered his second hit of the night with a line drive to right center that put him on second base with two outs. Burns then followed with his second hit of the night, scoring Nelson from first to tie the game at 4-4.
In the seventh, Ashton Bardzell and Ben Bengston led off the inning with back-to-back base hits before Andrew Workman walked Jackson Olson to load the bases. Mike Davis (Sandy Hook, Connecticut) then came-on in relief of Workman and got TJ Ward to ground into a double play, with Bardzell scoring the go-ahead run and Bengtson moving to third. Chris Sullivan then doubled down the line to score Bengtson and give Hartford a 6-4 lead.
Quinnipiac will face Iona this weekend in a three-game Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match-up in New Rochelle, New York with a doubleheader on Friday, Apr. 14 and a single, nine-inning game on Saturday, Apr. 15.
Joseph Burns after hitting the first home run in Dunkin' Donuts park history (Photo by Rob Rasmussen)
