HARTFORD, Conn. — For the first time in program history, the Western Connecticut State University baseball team played on the big stage at the Dunkin' Donuts Park — home of the minor league team, the Yard Goats — in a 7-6 win over in-state non-conference rival the University of Hartford, and the team's first win over the Hawks, on Friday. The Wolves improved to 11-20, while the Hawks dropped to 17-11-1 overall. Thomas Keough (Plainville, Conn.) kicked off the scoring in the opening inning, and the visitors never looked back, including a six-run fourth frame.



Keough brought home Ryan Vallie (East Haven, Conn.) after the second baseman reached first on a fielder's choice, giving the Wolves a 1-0 lead in the first. Brian Mansfield (Lynbrook, N.Y.) was solid on the mound, pitching three scoreless innings to preserve the Wolves' one-run advantage.

With Vallie at the plate, the junior's single to second base advanced both Wolves, but a throwing error allowed Vallie and Peter Coniglio (New Milford, Conn.) to advance a base as Anthony Marsala (Beacon Falls, Conn.) scored another run. Nick Lobouno's (Trumbull, Conn.) deep single parallel along the right-side line until it reached the backstop allowed Vallie and Coniglio to return home. Josef Rosa (Fort Lee, N.J.) continued the onslaught of runs with a single through the right side, bringing in Keough, followed by a Bryan Birkl (Farmingdale, N.Y.) single in the same spot, allowing Rosa and Lobouno to score and put WestConn up, 7-0.



With the bases loaded with Hawks in the bottom of the fifth and only one out, Jimmy Muthersbaugh (Bethel, Conn.) came in for relief to get out of the inning with a beautiful doubleplay. Birkl at shortstop denied the ball entry into left field before throwing it to Vallie at second for out number one and completing the play with a side-arm throw to Keough on first. One batter before Muthersbaugh's heroics, UHart scored its lone run of the inning with a bases-loaded walk.

UHart added two to the scoreboard in the sixth as Zaynn Godbee's double to right field kicked off the scoring as Sean Newman and Godbee came back around off Evin Curtiss' single up the middle. In the bottom of the eighth, the hosts score twice before Cooper Anderson (South Windsor, Conn.) came in for relief to retire three-straight, including a sacrifice fly to right field, and narrowed the deficit to one.

Brandon Payne (Milford, Conn.) closed out the final inning for the save after pitching a scoreless ninth frame and Mansfield earned the win with five strikeouts on the day. WestConn out-hit Hartford 12-6, as Lobouno connected for a game-high three. WestConn honored its players by letting everyone have their day in the spotlight at least once this game.



WestConn remains on the road for a Little East Conference matchup against another in-state rival on Tuesday against Eastern Connecticut State University at 3:30 p.m.