KEENE, N.H. – John Russell hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the sixth inning to give the University of Hartford a three-run lead after they fell behind 3-0 early, and that proved to be enough as the Hawks edged the Keene State College baseball team 8-7 in a non-conference game between surging teams Wednesday at the Owl Athletic Complex.

Winners of eight of their last nine, the Owls (15-12) got a leadoff walk from Evan Cali to start the bottom of the ninth but could not find the walk-off magic against Julian Rondon and Hartford (15-9-1), who extended their winning streak to eight straight games.

For the second straight day, KSC jumped out to a quick lead as they scored in the second to take a 1-0 lead on Mitchell Coffey's RBI double that scored Ethan Rainha.  Trevor Snow scored on a wild pitch before Jonathan Chatfield and Cali executed a first and third double steal as the Owls unconventionally pushed across two more in the third for a three-run lead, but their lead was gone in the very next half inning as Hartford got to Mason Pingree in the second time through the order, opening the fourth with three straight hits and a sacrifice fly to quickly get back within a run.  Ryan Knight then followed with a game-tying double before Russell came up with his first go-ahead knock, a double to left that made it 4-3.

The Owls chased Hawks starter Jeffrey Blake, who struggled with command and walked five, in the fourth as they reclaimed the lead with a pair of two out runs as Coffey scored on a wild pitch while Finlay was stealing second in a first and third situation.  Trevor Snow, who was 2-for-4 with a double and a triple, then followed with a line drive double down the left field line to cap off KSC's response and put his team back in front.

But as was the case in Tuesday's eventual 15-13 win over Mitchell College, it seemed no lead was safe, as the game turned again in the sixth when Jackson Ciccone ambushed the first pitch from Pingree for a game-tying blast to left to make it 5-5.  Jeremy Mangiameli then followed with a well-struck single to right to spell the end of the Owl freshman's day.  Daniel Cantafi could not slow down Hartford from there, as he walked Ryan Knight on four pitches, threw a wild pitch, and then saw Russell scald a long three-run home run near the foul pole in left for the Hawks' second home run of the inning and an 8-5 lead.

George Young fanned two and got a fly ball to calm the momentum from there, and Coffey again proved to be the sparkplug as the Owls responded quickly in the bottom half, as he led off with a gap double to left before scoring on Anthony DiGiacomo's base hit.  Two consecutive fielder's choice ground balls followed, but Snow (who reached on one of them) then swiped second and made it 8-7 when Cali's RBI single up the middle into center drove him in.  Cali then stole second also to put the tying run in scoring position, but Chatfield lined to left to end the inning.

What seemed to have the makings of what was turning into a shootout never materialized – but what did was a couple of frustrating missed chances for the Owls in two of the final three innings.  In the seventh, Rainha struck out swinging but reached on a wild pitch and then stole second with one out.  A strikeout followed, but Rainha then moved up another 90 feet on a wild pitch to put the tying run at third with two down.  Coffey worked a full count walk, but an unsuccessful first and third double steal attempt foiled the inning.

In the ninth, Cali walked on five pitches to set the table for the meat of the Owls' order in a one-run game, but he did not advance any further as Chatfield forced him out on a 6-4 fielder's choice and Otis Follet lined to left before Rondon fanned Rainha to end the game.

KSC did not have many answers for the left Rondon, striking out five times as he threw 3.1 hitless innings of relief down the stretch to pick up his second save.  We walked two and struck out two, but the Owls could not make it hurt enough.  Evan Gentile (1-1) relieved Blake and got the win, allowing five hits and two runs in two innings of middle relief.  Hartford's pitching staff combined to issue eight free passes, but KSC struck out 10 times.

Pingree (2-3) impressively mowed down the Hawks over the first three innings but wound up taking the loss after allowing eight hits and six runs in five innings.  He walked one and struck out one.  The Owls' staff whiffed only three, tied for the second fewest in a game this season, and that proved problematic when Hartford put up two four spots in the fourth and sixth innings to account for all of their offense.

Russell finished 2-for-4 with a double, home run, and four RBI out of the six-spot in the Hawks' order.  Hartford also saw their top three (JJ Romatzick, Alex Popovich, and Ciccone) combine to go 7-for-14 to set the table.

Coffey finished 2-for-2 with two doubles and reached all four times, also drawing two walks.  In Snow's 2-for-4 performance, he also walked and drove in a run.  Coffey is hitting .354 in 16 games (14 starts) and Snow .344 in 18 games (13 starts).

KSC fell to 1-5 in one-run games on the season and also has six losses when scoring first (13-6).

The Owls turn their attention to a critical conference doubleheader at Eastern Connecticut State University (20-6-1, 7-2 LEC) on Saturday, April 18.  First pitch is at noon.  KSC beat the Warriors 2-1 in last year's Little East Conference tournament championship game for their first title since 2008.