The Hartford Baseball team secured the number two seed in the Conference of New England (CNE) tournament after sweeping Gordon College, according to a May 2 announcement.
This achievement gives Hartford a first-round bye in the upcoming CNE Tournament, putting them in a strong position as postseason play begins. The Hawks will next face the winner of Western New England University and Wentworth Institute of Technology at Endicott College on Thursday.
In game one, Hartford overcame an early deficit to defeat Gordon College 13-6. Senior John Russell led the offense with four hits and three runs batted in, including a solo home run. Junior Alek Popovich also hit a home run, while eight different Hawks contributed runs batted in during an eight-run seventh inning that broke open the game. Pitching contributions came from junior Anthony Bubba, freshman Logan Smalley, sophomore Justin Gouin—who picked up the win—and sophomore Michael Greco who closed out the victory.
Game two saw Hartford rally from behind again, scoring six runs in the fifth inning to take control before holding off Gordon for a 6-5 win. Junior Alyis Godbee and junior Peyton West each had two hits and drove in key runs. On the mound, senior Joe Dooley started for Hartford while junior Julian Rondon earned the win with two scoreless innings. Senior Michael Featherstone closed out both games with critical outs late.
The sweep means that only two Hawks recorded extra-base hits in game two but timely hitting and strong relief pitching proved decisive for both victories.
Looking ahead, Hartford’s baseball team will prepare for their next matchup at Endicott College as they continue their pursuit of a conference championship.
